Ahh, Canadian spring!

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Is it me, or is it really quiet in here?

So, today my almost 5 year old started his second year of school, and unlike his first time at kindergarten, I was not an emotional wreck, I was a tiny bit sad to let him go again, but mostly kind of relieved, as he can be somewhat of an unstoppable force, you know, screaming, fighting, demanding, complaining, constantly talking… ummm, where was I? Oh yes, I was ok with him starting school again, despite my moments of ‘mommy-ness’!

My second son did not cry this time, he’s 3 and a half almost now, so he understands what is happening, he just really wants to go to school though. I am thinking that I may send him, but I fear that he’ll pee in his pants and tell only his brother who will totally lose his mind!

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Talk to me or I’ll cut your tail

Although this summer was not my first time caring for all my 3 kids full-time, it was certainly my most trying period. I think that school really changes a child, sometimes for the better, and sometimes for the worse, but mostly, because they grow accustom to having activities all day, they become bored very quickly when faced with no planned “fun”, which of course is especially challenging for a work at home mother.

As I struggle to be a mother and freelancer, I sometimes get to the point of complete and utter frustration, and at one of those times, from somewhere deep within the recesses of my mind, came words that I haven’t heard since I was a child, “Do it or I’ll cut your tail!!”, which I am sure many of you will remember from your own childhood, no?, just me then?, ok, well for those of you that don’t, I am sure that you had your own variation for a threat that loosely translates to, “Do it or I’ll motivate your with my hand on your butt!”

I said it, of course hoping that my son would listen to me and comply with my demands, but instead, my 4 year old exclaimed, “cut my tail? ahahahaha!! what does that mean? ahahahaha! I don’t even have a tail! ahahahaha!” Effectively destroying the ‘threat-iness’ of my statement, and causing me to laugh along with him.

What’s the weirdest thing you ever threatened your kids with, or were threatened with as a kid?

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Parenting Strategies: how to get kids to clean up

My kids are notorious non-tidy-up’ers! They absolutely hate to clean, and it seems that no amount of motivational songs, threats, or rewards can help the situation. It actually amazes me to hear the elaborate excuses that 3 and 4 year olds can think up!

I used to go on for about half an hour trying very hard to convince them that cleaning was ‘fun’, ‘smart’, ‘healthy’, you know, I used just about any adjective I thought would serve as encouragement, and yet nothing. Then, I started with the threats, “I WILL give it away!”, “I WILL throw it in the garbage!”, “I WILL give it to the baby!”, but they would then dare me to do it! Mind you, many of their toys are now sitting in the basement and even more have been given to charity. But I found it hard to just take away the toys that I know they love, and they’d caught on to my weakness.

Recently, I discovered a technique that works so well, I don’t even have to threaten anymore! One day, as they sat ignoring my pleas to remove their toys from the floor before I swept, without warning, I just started sweeping away their toys. I have never seen them work so fast before – they jumped from their seats and ran to remove their toys from my path! Now, when I tell them I am going to sweep away their toys, they instantly start putting everything back into the toy box.

Last night though, they were extremely tired from missing their daytime nap, and when I started to sweep the toys, they both completely lost it and started screaming and crying very loudly, so loudly that I was fearful a neighbor might have called child services! But, the trick is to remain completely calm and unconcerned with their crying. I just calmly gave them the options, and calmly told them that I was going to sweep whether they cried or not (more crying ensued, of course), then the baby got very worried about his toys and started to pick them up. As I neared the end of the living room, I started counting, and told them that they had until I counted to 20 and then the toys would be gone, thankfully this worked and the place was clean by the time I reached 39 (they requested 19 additional counts).

How do you get your kids to clean?

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Talk to me & the short pants fiasco!

I think that success in parenting is hugely dependent on how much we learn from our mistakes – or something like that!

Today we had plans with my husband’s family and we had to meet them at a specific time. Now, somehow when it’s his family, my husband gets very edgy about everything (I guess I am the same way about my family too), anyways… my 4 year old refused to get dressed, he wanted to remain in his shorts, which was apparently completely unacceptable by his dad, who proceeded to yell at him. And then, like any rebellious 4 year old, he ADAMANTLY wanted to wear shorts and nothing else. Threats ensued – “you will be left at home!”, “change immediately!”, “we’re NOT kidding!”, bla bla bla, and 15 minutes later we left the house without him! (My sister stayed home to look after him)

Now, I wonder if we did the right thing, I really felt like we had to nip the ‘rebellious’ thing in the bud, but I know that we were really tense at that moment from already being late and perhaps we a bit to hard on him – he is only 4 after all!

How would you have handled it?

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