Picture this.. a three year-old girl with short, blonde hair. Lopsided piggy-tails, green eyes and a crooked smile that might make any mum nervous.
To make matters worse? Hands on hips while riding a stationary horse at the park.
Worse? Play time was over and a crowd gathers to watch as I challenge said three-year-old.
Bless their hearts I am sure they acted as though they never experienced discipline. Whether it was putting their own children in line or watching someone else.
Picture THIS.
Me:"Three-year-old, ok, time to get off and get into the car. We talked about this. You know play time is over."
There were no words from my three-year-old. I sure wish that was the case. Instant tantrum seizing ensued. First this blondie fell the ground in an all-out body flailing, screaming, eyes angrily rolling to make sure I paid close attention to her disorderly attitude.
The crowd that gathered before suddenly went from three or four to six adults and one teen. Yay.
I pick up the three-year-old and look her in the eye and remind her of the warning I made. She resisted. Refused to comply. Dropped to the ground a second time while flailing her ridiculously sharp feet at my ankles. My ankles fell victim to her tyrany.
Still. I pick the three-year-old up and stand her to talk to her eye-to-eye as if to say "this is your last chance."
She flails to the ground again.
The crowd now, in suit, put their hands on their hips as if to say "don't you even think about disciplining that child!"
My thoughts?
Leave me alone. I am tired. Do you even KNOW how many tantrums this (cute albeit feisty) three-year-old has thrown..not just today but in the last HOUR??
Did you know that I took her to go swimming and she refused to listen to me? Did you know she ran on the cement by the pool, almost fell down, pushed her brother into deeper water as if he is able to swim that deep? Did you know I am exhausted?
Did you know it is none of your business how I discipline my child?
I believe it is important to love our children. We need to praise them. We need to smile, laugh, joke and enjoy life with these little people we are blessed to have. I know. I get it.
But there will be a day when little people are not so little. They will have to tie their own shoe laces, feed their own mouths, get their own jobs, drive their own cars, take care of other people and pay for their own things.
Do you think our little people will learn to take care of themselves by being taught everything is perfect? Of course not!
Responsible, loving, kind, giving, thoughtful members of society start their lives with parents who take a genuine interest in raising them to be such people. In order to raise someone to be self-sufficient sometimes spankings are required. Stern words are required. Time-out is required.
So what did I say to the crowd watching me discipline my daughter?
Nothing. I smiled, calming walking away with my three-year-old. Why did I not yell at the crowd in my frustration?
Because my mom taught me when I was a little person that yelling at people was not nice.
Boom. There ya go. One parent to another.
To make matters worse? Hands on hips while riding a stationary horse at the park.
Worse? Play time was over and a crowd gathers to watch as I challenge said three-year-old.
Bless their hearts I am sure they acted as though they never experienced discipline. Whether it was putting their own children in line or watching someone else.
Picture THIS.
Me:"Three-year-old, ok, time to get off and get into the car. We talked about this. You know play time is over."
There were no words from my three-year-old. I sure wish that was the case. Instant tantrum seizing ensued. First this blondie fell the ground in an all-out body flailing, screaming, eyes angrily rolling to make sure I paid close attention to her disorderly attitude.
The crowd that gathered before suddenly went from three or four to six adults and one teen. Yay.
I pick up the three-year-old and look her in the eye and remind her of the warning I made. She resisted. Refused to comply. Dropped to the ground a second time while flailing her ridiculously sharp feet at my ankles. My ankles fell victim to her tyrany.
Still. I pick the three-year-old up and stand her to talk to her eye-to-eye as if to say "this is your last chance."
She flails to the ground again.
The crowd now, in suit, put their hands on their hips as if to say "don't you even think about disciplining that child!"
My thoughts?
Leave me alone. I am tired. Do you even KNOW how many tantrums this (cute albeit feisty) three-year-old has thrown..not just today but in the last HOUR??
Did you know that I took her to go swimming and she refused to listen to me? Did you know she ran on the cement by the pool, almost fell down, pushed her brother into deeper water as if he is able to swim that deep? Did you know I am exhausted?
Did you know it is none of your business how I discipline my child?
I believe it is important to love our children. We need to praise them. We need to smile, laugh, joke and enjoy life with these little people we are blessed to have. I know. I get it.
But there will be a day when little people are not so little. They will have to tie their own shoe laces, feed their own mouths, get their own jobs, drive their own cars, take care of other people and pay for their own things.
Do you think our little people will learn to take care of themselves by being taught everything is perfect? Of course not!
Responsible, loving, kind, giving, thoughtful members of society start their lives with parents who take a genuine interest in raising them to be such people. In order to raise someone to be self-sufficient sometimes spankings are required. Stern words are required. Time-out is required.
So what did I say to the crowd watching me discipline my daughter?
Nothing. I smiled, calming walking away with my three-year-old. Why did I not yell at the crowd in my frustration?
Because my mom taught me when I was a little person that yelling at people was not nice.
Boom. There ya go. One parent to another.
