So far, we have went to the library for story time, completed a craft, and went to the dentist. All morning was about them. Now that I am not feeding them or entertaining them, they are bored.
Here's the scene: multiple games are out on the "game table" Gabriel created. Checkers, tic-tac-toe, bingo, and some other Diego game that comes in this ingenious 1,000+ piece game pack that I some how thought was a great idea to keep them entertained and decided to buy. Tumble Tree Timbers and Lincoln Logs create a wooden carpet of sorts at their feet.
How did this all happen within the past 15 minutes?! Easy, I went to order their live caterpillars for their Butterfly Garden that we bought them for Easter, then figured out I needed to look at school/family calendars lined up to account for the feeding, hatching, and releasing stages (not to mention verifying the temps are "seasonal" for a safe release just before our summer camping trip). This all took time. Just prior to me leaving the room, they were complaining they were "bored" and turned the TV on. I turned it off and suggested they build a Lincoln Log village. Then I went to the other room to order the butterflies...
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Here's some phrases I am going to begin using more often in situations like this:
In this house, we are done with the phrase: "I'm still playing with it." I will no longer accept this phrase in our house unless I can visually SEE you "still playing" with it. (This is a long one, I think I will put it on a note card to be most effective in the department of consistency.)
Technology turned off, brains turned on.
Pick up the pillows and put them back on the couch. (broken record approach?)
Is that how we play with that? (works for all toys: ex. baby pack 'n play that is tipped on its side and being used as a "crutch" to walk around the room)
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Tying into that last question, I think I am going to go the rhetorical route on parenting and just ask a lot of questions they know (or can easily figure out the answer to by looking me in the eye) vs. me just telling them the answer. That seems to be the most effective at this point.
Let's give it a try:
Is that a good idea? (Is that safe?)
Do you want desert? (used for when they are not eating)
Who would like to help Mom with ________? (default to an imperative statement if question does not engage a response)
Is there a reason you aren't wearing your coat? (change into an imperative statement if question does not engage a response)
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Okay, this could work... I already find myself doing this and the questions seem to lead to more action and ownership on their part than me just telling them to do something.
HEY! This could also work on a higher-level thinking activity on inferencing (teacher in me coming out):
Ex. Noah, in the store the other day, asked me if they could attend the Easter Egg Hunt at Sendiks. He asked me over and over again, "Can we please? Please, Mom? Can we go? Can we?" After a long da,y and then having to grocery shop with the three of them, I responded in the best motherly way I knew how, "Ask me again..." Guess what, he never did ask me again, just smirked at me in understanding that it would be best not to do that. Love that he is becoming a master of prediction!
Okay, take a deep breathe. The Family Room is now clean once again, the kids took a 10 minute swinging session outside and are now back in to destroy the room once again. Time for some redirection. I've had my break for "venting", now we're back it...
I'm pretty sure that all those phrases are recycled from when I was a kid, lol.
ReplyDelete...and I can "see" my mother using them on us kids as I read this!
Thanks for the giggles :)