So often in my journey as a mother, I feel uncertain, inadequate, and unprepared. Just when I think I know what to do, my kids change and the rules I thought I knew change. to redirect my thinking, I spent some time thinking about my great parenting moments. You know those moments, when the perfect idea pops into your head and it works! The ones were the results are instant and it's easy to remember that you can be effective. The idea may never work again or it may only work for one kid, or maybe it is a permanent treasure you can keep reusing. In any case, I am grateful God gives us such moments, but I need to work on remembering more. Here are a few of our instantly gratifying moments.
When H was two or three, I told her that if her shoes looked like bunny ears, they were on the wrong feet. She never mixed them up again!
The phrase, "You don't have to like it, you just have to eat it" has served me very well. An unanticipated result is that they often say sweetly, "Mom, I don't really like this, but I am still going to eat it." Yes! Now we are working on not expressing all dislikes when we visit other people.
I couldn't interest K in potty training, but then we found the library book The Princess and the Potty. T piggybacked on that and promised a princess dress if she used the potty for a month. It worked instantly. We are not above bribery.
I am sure there are more. Keep watching this post maybe I'll think of them. In the meantime, what about you? What are your instantly brilliant parenting moments?
2 comments:
i need a brilliant moment about getting stephen to at least tolerate his baths. it all started because he was playing with dirt and rubbing it in his hair and to get it out i had to have him lie down in the tub. now he screams the whole time. i tried getting in with him. i tried a bubble bath.
on a more positive note, when i tell him to obey, he is for some reason more receptive when i add the phrase "i want to be able to trust you." so he tends to obey and then chant "trust you trust you trust you."
Have you tried those cool fizzing tablets that make the bathtub water turn a color or bathtub paints? Or maybe just a toy boat or one of those wind up bath tub toys? I don't really know his personality but those might help.
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