Tag: parenting
Toddlers don’t have to be your enemy…
Once upon a time, I had 2 babies. Ricky and Lucy are a mere 12.5 months apart in age and I almost didn’t survive the first few years (and I am still barely hanging on some days!) People like to give you parenting advice to the tune of “Get ready for the terrible twos!” or “You think two is bad, three-year-olds are worse!” and so on. We get it. It’s all really, really bad if you let it be. Some parents feel defeated with their children and just give up on trying to do anything or go anywhere.
I would describe my children in many ways: smart, creative, adventurous, and most definitely difficult. All children have different personalities and can be motivated by different things. However, there is one universal language that speaks to nearly all toddlers. GET THEM PUMPED UP!. If you get a 3 year old pumped up about something, they will be so much easier to deal with. It doesn’t matter what the task is: clean up, lunch, nap time, going to the store, checking the mail–whatever! If they see that you are pumped up and believe you are being genuine- they can feel it in their souls!
Another great way to encourage a group of little ones, or even just one, is to offer an incentive. I used to shamelessly make my kids race to pick up toys and they believed in their hearts that one of them would reign supreme for picking up faster. It was always a tie. PLUS: their prize was usually the snack I was going to give them anyway. Stop just giving things to your kids for free, make them earn their snack. Heck, give them a sticker. Give them a freaking band-aid. Toddlers are the easiest people on earth to please. If nap time is a struggle, plan a fun activity for when they wake up. Or you can try the old swicheroo…
This trick is a favorite of mine when it comes to making nap time easier. If a child asks to watch TV during nap time, lay them down in bed. Say to them, “It’s time to lay down and rest, but it is NOT nap time, don’t take a nap, ok? We are just resting.” Then when they ask for a show say, “Yes, I will turn your show on–oh, one second I have to go (make something up, maybe go to the bathroom) I’ll be right back…” and shut the door and remain quiet. They will fall asleep waiting for you to come back (almost) every time. By changing the subject and creating a distraction you are avoiding a fight. That is ALWAYS a good thing when you are exhausted and nap time is your only break of the day!
Now- of course these things won’t work for all children and I’m not a psychologist but I think I am pretty good at getting kids pumped up to do what they are supposed to do. If you are having a specific issue with your kiddo and want some feedback, leave a comment or message me on Facebook. If you liked this post, share it with your friends and follow my blog!
How to make your kids stop fighting…
Kill them. This is the quickest and most effective method for making your kids stop fighting. Just prop up their dead bodies to look like they are playing nicely in their room–maybe a nice board game. (Just kidding, this option was suggested by my 8 year old, Lucy)
- Chores! This is my favorite go to punishment to get quick results. Here’s how I execute this method. First, I hear the kids fighting…I wait to see if they will settle it by themselves. Usually, Ricky (9) will quietly do something to get under Lucy’s skin. Then Lucy SCREAMS. When I hear that scream, I announce that chore time has commenced. For every protest, rude remark, and back talk I add another chore. I’m like DJ Kahled:
- Separate them. Make them get far, far away from one another until they are begging you to let them play together again. Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
- Trick them into loving each other. Warning: THIS METHOD MAY CAUSE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA, USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. If you really want to make your kids realize how much they love each other, convince each child that the other one is dying. After you get them all worked up, pull the rug out from under them. Then- rub it in their face that they were actually sad and they do, in fact, love each other. (side note: if your child shows no emotion regarding the imminent demise of their sibling, they may be riddled with demons–in which case you should call an exorcist. )
- Make them hold hands ( or some other kind of awkward closeness like a “get along shirt”) This probably works better on little ones who are not old enough to do chores.
- Seriously, make them do chores. By the time they finally stop arguing with you and have racked up a whole list of chores, your house will be clean– PLUS: you get to watch whatever you want in the living room because they are busy doing chores!
If your children are old enough to work, but still young enough to be scared of you, take ’em for all they’ve got! One day it won’t be so easy!
Mommy Fleyot 