And I just had to share with you this gem I found on the internet. 21 Surprising Parenting Tips. Especially because I tried this little bit of advice:
3. If you want their attention at the dinner table, or anywhere else, start a sentence with "Did I ever tell you the story about..."And it worked amazingly well on five 3- and 4-year-olds who were not listening to me.
See, we got an electric keyboard from some friends who upgraded theirs, and it's power cord is a bit finicky (thanks to the fact that we tried to jam one of the wrong size on there, shortly after getting it). Anyway, the aforementioned preschool group kept bumping the piano, which would make it turn off, which would cause them to shout at each other for turning it off.
"Did I ever tell you the story . . . about how this piano needs to be treated gently?"
It was magic.
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| Here's one! Double the fun of getting a package in the mail by giving the kids markers and letting them draw all over the box before you recycle it (or save it for your upcoming move). |
My best trick of all time that has lasted the longest and been the most useful is our mealtime song. I start singing it to signal to the whole family that food is ready to be eaten. Whoever is not in his or her chair by the end of the song gets a one-minute timeout from his or her food. This goes for parents and children alike. It is totally magical and has been working for us for ... I don't know ... four years now? Maybe more? Craziness. I was so tired of calling out and eventually shouting to try to drag people away from interesting toys or books or projects to come and eat. Now, sing a song, and we're all there!
ReplyDeleteThat is an awesome tip! I love it! We have a song for family prayer, but there's not a time-out if you miss it, hehe.
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