1st July 2011
I wanted to follow up from my last blog on holidays with some more thoughts on how to stay sweet with the children. This can be a challenge, especially when you lead a busy life and want to get things done.
Scenario, they want you to take them to the cinema. You don’t want to explain to them that you don’t have the time or money to do so.
The standard pat answer they get is, we’ll see!
We’ll see doesn’t cut it. They think, it’s never going to happen. They’ve heard it all before.
It’s better to give them an answer.
I can’t take you this week but next week will be better for me.
Make a time, and make sure it happens. This gives you more credibility with them and also something they can look forward to. You can also get leverage with it, like, any more attitude and no cinema!! No threats or intimidation, just a gentle reminder!
What about, ‘because I said so’, or ‘just because’.
Now that’s not an answer.
I ‘fess’ up to using this with my own children when they were small.
But again, this is not an answer. It’s better to give them the reason for denying them whatever it is they want.
Scenario, they want to sleep over with friends, but you don’t know who they are or met their parents.
They have said that ‘everybody else is going and they are the only ones not going’.
They put on that downtrodden, hang dog expression! You know the one, you’ve seen it often.
Rather than say, ‘because I said so’ give them your reasons.
We need to speak with their parents first.
We are having our own family get together that night.
You’re still grounded because of the last episode!
Children get discouraged when parents come with the ‘just because’ or we’ll see.
They see it as a maybe or it’s never going to happen.
You can enjoy the next six weeks or you can be miserable. It’s your choice.
Life is so daily and it’s good to get the opportunity to do something different with our children. I would love your feedback and your ideas on good ways to fill the holidays.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Nan
