By Rosalie Lynch
A three year boy was sitting in his car seat of his parents' car. They had stopped by McDonald's to eat in the car as they journeyed their way home from a weekend trip. The boy decided it would be a lot of fun rubbing his French Fries all over the car window to see the many designs he could create with the fry. His dad stopped to get gasoline and discovered what his son had done to the car window. The dad opened the back seat door, scolded the kid and took the fries away from him. The boy sitting next to his grandma said, "I don't think I should be living with these people because I am always getting into trouble with them". His mom was in the front seat and she heard her son. His grandma looked at his mom who was smiling at what came out of her son's mouth and his brain.
Kids normally do not demonstrate unacceptable behavior until they are about two or three years old. Why? Because parents/grandparents up that point are well known for saying "Isn't that cute?" until it becomes un-cute.
As parents we need to remember that the first two years of a kid's life we have clapped when they sit up for the first time; we praise when they start to crawl and walk; we hug them when they start growing their teeth; we give them candy if they potty in the potty chair; we tell the whole family and the neighborhood when they speak their first word and the kid is thinking "what a good kid I am". Then our kids hit the 2-3 year mark and they start hearing the word "NO"; we are always correcting their behavior or words; we start yelling at them; putting them in time-out; some parents spank and the kid starts thinking, like the 3 year old, "I don't think I should be living with these people because I am always getting into trouble with them." Some key elements are apparent with this true story:
* Parents need to evaluate what their kids are doing before reacting. This is to give an opportunity for the parents to determine if it a kid's "creative moment" or intentional unacceptable behavior.
* Start at an early age to teach your kid when they choose to do something there are circumstances at the end. Some good circumstances and some bad circumstances. Such as: when the family gets home, the dad and son gets busy and washes the car window clean again with the dad explaining why he can not rub food on the car windows.
* Parents cannot give a three year old permission to be on their own while eating any kid of food in the car unsupevised. And NEVER depend upon grandparents correcting their precious grandchildren - it is just not in the heart.
* Try to make sure a kid doesn't "always feel like they are getting in trouble with their parents". Balance it all out - some compliments along with some discipline and of course, not at the same time. Before you kiss your kid goodnight, pay them a compliment.
A three year boy was sitting in his car seat of his parents' car. They had stopped by McDonald's to eat in the car as they journeyed their way home from a weekend trip. The boy decided it would be a lot of fun rubbing his French Fries all over the car window to see the many designs he could create with the fry. His dad stopped to get gasoline and discovered what his son had done to the car window. The dad opened the back seat door, scolded the kid and took the fries away from him. The boy sitting next to his grandma said, "I don't think I should be living with these people because I am always getting into trouble with them". His mom was in the front seat and she heard her son. His grandma looked at his mom who was smiling at what came out of her son's mouth and his brain.
Kids normally do not demonstrate unacceptable behavior until they are about two or three years old. Why? Because parents/grandparents up that point are well known for saying "Isn't that cute?" until it becomes un-cute.
As parents we need to remember that the first two years of a kid's life we have clapped when they sit up for the first time; we praise when they start to crawl and walk; we hug them when they start growing their teeth; we give them candy if they potty in the potty chair; we tell the whole family and the neighborhood when they speak their first word and the kid is thinking "what a good kid I am". Then our kids hit the 2-3 year mark and they start hearing the word "NO"; we are always correcting their behavior or words; we start yelling at them; putting them in time-out; some parents spank and the kid starts thinking, like the 3 year old, "I don't think I should be living with these people because I am always getting into trouble with them." Some key elements are apparent with this true story:
* Parents need to evaluate what their kids are doing before reacting. This is to give an opportunity for the parents to determine if it a kid's "creative moment" or intentional unacceptable behavior.
* Start at an early age to teach your kid when they choose to do something there are circumstances at the end. Some good circumstances and some bad circumstances. Such as: when the family gets home, the dad and son gets busy and washes the car window clean again with the dad explaining why he can not rub food on the car windows.
* Parents cannot give a three year old permission to be on their own while eating any kid of food in the car unsupevised. And NEVER depend upon grandparents correcting their precious grandchildren - it is just not in the heart.
* Try to make sure a kid doesn't "always feel like they are getting in trouble with their parents". Balance it all out - some compliments along with some discipline and of course, not at the same time. Before you kiss your kid goodnight, pay them a compliment.
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