My mommy’s a liar. I am NOT amused.
(Note: This is written mostly in jest. So, read, laugh and enjoy!)
There’s a bit of parenting advice you won’t find in any child-rearing book (at least none that I’m aware of). It’s unethical, immoral and goes directly against God’s commandments (the 9th to be exact). Yet, every parent does it on a regular basis.
So, what is this taboo topic? Lying. Lying like a priceless Persian rug on a rich man’s floor, like a coon dog basking in the sunshine on my porch, like a penny in the parking lot at the grocery story (ok, enough with The Band Perry references).
Awhile back, I wrote my 5 Tips for Taming a Strong-Willed Toddler. Guess what? “Become a Liar-Liar Pants on Fire” is #6. Why? Well, let me illustrate a few scenarios …
Life with a toddler is a bit like living in the country. When it’s bad, it’s really bad. But when it’s good, it’s really, really, really good. Wouldn’t change it for a thing.
She is sunlight streaming through glistening Cottonwood leaves.
She is the tinkle of wind chimes on a summer evening.
She is a tepid breeze that lifts the hair off your neck.
She is the sweet smell of sun-warmed yellow roses.
She is my daughter.
What’s one of the most loving things you can do for your children? Show yourself some love!
Today, I had to say something very difficult to my daughter. While I wholeheartedly believe it needed to be said, I could barely let the words escape my lips.
You see, my daughter has been going through somewhat of a “princess” phase lately. Despite our best efforts to divert her attention elsewhere, it’s hard to stop the pink train. So, we’ve decided to let her ride, but with our supervision and guidance along the way.
Lately, she’s been obsessed with wearing dresses. “Princesses don’t wear pants!” Ugh. This morning, she said something to me that made my heart break a little. Frustrated that she wasn’t able to put her necklace on “just right,” she sneered at me, “You’re not pretty! …
Awhile back, I shared my feelings of helplessness and frustration when my super strong-willed toddler threw the Mother of all Meltdowns. Since then, I’ve decided to really focus on identifying situations which might set her off again, and try to create a positive environment for her. Here are some things I tried, which have been fairly successful so far. I should preface these tips with this disclaimer: I am by no means a parenting expert. In fact, there are times when I’m so awkward in public with my kids that people probably don’t think they’re mine.
She loves helping me cook! Maybe she’ll take over on making meals someday.
1. Ask them to help. Chances are, they would love to help you with mundane tasks, like putting detergent in the washing machine, clearing the …
One. Hour. Straight. 60 minutes of all-hell’s-broke-loose, demon-like, possessed screaming. That’s how long it took my two-year-old to finally give in to the fact that she wasn’t going to the park with no pants on. She writhed in my arms in her pink leotard, veins bulging, blonde ringlets soaked with sweat, and neck bloodied from where she’d scratched herself. This was the mother of all meltdowns.
And while I may look back someday and laugh, right now my heart is broken. My spirit is broken. No amount of soothing, diversions or reasoning could calm her down. She threw toys and clothes from her bedroom, and ran back down the stairs each time after I put her in her room for timeout. I stuck to the Super Nanny routine, and persistently, calmly put her back time and time again. Meanwhile, my 11-month-old …