Monday, August 1, 2011

Monday Vent - Parenting Skills

Spending time with extended family who have questionable parenting skills is painful.  Watching the impact these poor skills are having on my beloved nieces and nephews is painfully frustrating. 

1.       When your child has a difficult time transitioning and you tell them it is time to leave, you need to leave.  You don’t just sit there for 35 minutes saying, “get your shoes, it’s time to go” while your child alternates between screaming “no” and ignoring you. 

2.       When your child, who is not potty trained although they are well past the appropriate age, refuses to have their diaper changed, that is not the time for bargaining, bribing, and cajoling.  That is the time for decisive action to complete the task with minimal fuss.  You do not necessarily need their permission.

3.       When your child hits their cousin, you should not say in a sickly sweet voice, “oh sweetie, don’t hit, that’s not nice”.  It’s called a time out.

4.       When your child says “no” to you,  that is not the time to get a “deer in the headlights” look on your face and back down.  You need to understand that you are the adult and that you need to teach your child.  You are not doing them any favors by letting them become spoiled rotten children who believe everyone should comply with their wishes.

5.       When 6 adults in a family have finally agreed on a restaurant, the complaints of a 12 year old should not change the decision, regardless of her pouting prowess.

6.       When a child refuses to eat anything but potato chips, the chips should be removed.

I have a lot more, but I think the vent is over for now.   To be continued…

S -)

Your turn! Can you relate? Share your vent. You'll feel better... really!

4 comments:

  1. Now that I am a mother, there is nothing that annoys me more than parents letting their kids control them.
    Thank you for stopping by, listing your blog and grabbing my button!

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  2. Essential Mama Baby - I agree. There are SO many more parents like that these days. Don't apologize to the kid for correcting them and YES, REALLY mean what you say!

    Thanks for letting us list our button on your site!

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  3. I'm so relieved! I thought you were going to list all my "go-to" parenting techniques as "no-gos" for parenting. Phew!

    P.S. Thanks for reaching out on MomnBaby, I'll try to get involved on your blog. Check out mine...

    www.MommysTwoCents.com

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  4. Heli - I have read your blog. No way your parenting would show up as a negative on our blog. You actually take care of your kids! Good luck with Gabby and your new list of ingredients you can use.

    p.s. We are following your blog too. Thanks for following us!

    ReplyDelete