Just about sums up our parenting style. No freaking idea and trying to work it out each and every day for the past 2 and a bit years. Some of my friends are addicted to reading books on babies, and toddlers and kids – every stage that they go through they read up and are knowledgeable. Rob banned me from reading said books about 3 weeks into Daisy’s life when she “wasn’t doing” what they said she should be doing and I freaked out and thought that I was a failure. So, I really have no idea if we are doing is right – or wrong – and it probably has something to do with the fact that Daisy’s sleep is so screwed up at the moment – but it’s what we do….our parenting style. Unique and what works (or in some cases clearly isn’t working) for us.
Last week we decided to come up with a chart for Daisy to mark off her good behaviour. Yeah so what I hear you ask? This is what ALL the books say you should do. Well, not having read “Toddler Taming” or the like we thought it was a good idea. And you know what? It is working a TREAT. She loves the praise and process of getting a star and putting it up on the chart. She chose where the chart lives – right in the middle of the kitchen/lounge room – and the mere threat of removing one of the stars when she misbehaves is enough to strike the fear of God in her and she instantly starts to behave. Kids SO know what is going on at all times – boy do they play you!
So she nailed the first chart reasonably quickly (you can see it was very basic and we have since made it harder and many more options) and off we went to the Toy Store on Sunday afternoon for her to pick her prize for being a good girl.
She picked out…some fake fruit for her cooking…
And a bull. Ok…kids are weird.
So it’s working…for the moment at least. Except of course for yesterday afternoon when we were heading home from the corner shop and we didn’t visit the Toy Store (trouble with living so close to one you see) and headed straight home instead. She lost her shit. Big time. I have NEVER seen a tantrum quite like this one. She did the back arch and complete contraction of her body so you couldn’t actually pick her up. I had 2 bags of groceries and I could see all the people looking at me and my feral child on the pavement amongst the glass and general grossness of the pavement and me, pregnant and with bags thinking “what is that woman doing? What a revolting child.” Honestly, I could feel their stares boring into me. I was THAT woman. With THAT child.
Oh my God Beth, can I join you in this club? Lady was GROUNDED yesterday for stomping on Mister’s head. Yes, you read that correctly. And then she was FURTHER GROUNDED REALLY FOR THE ENTIRE DAY for sneaking blueberry ice cream up to her room for a snack in bed when she was supposed to be napping and then falling asleep with the carton in her bed so that it melted and got EVERYWHERE.
Gah!! I also don’t read parenting books. But maybe I should start? Nah.