Time to time, I'll practice something I've learned from a book or workshop, or come up with an effective idea for working with my kids to accomplish a goal. In those moments I feel so victorious and genius that I just HAVE to share the magic. Organized by age, here are some things that worked (once or twice, or sometimes for an entire week or two!).
Age 6mo
Baby backpack. That kid loves to walk around and look at stuff. He doesn't care if I'm walking around the house or outside, he is always happy as a clam to be strapped to my back.
Age 2y11m
DS: I don't want to go to school today!
Me: Oh, you don't want to go.
DS: NO. I WANT TO STAY HOME.
Me: Oh, you want to stay home. Is there any reason you want to stay home today?
DS: I JUST WANT TO STAY HERE
Me: Oh, you just want to stay home today.
Following the principles in the book "How to Talk so Kids Will Listen..." I didn't engage in a back and forth argument about why he needs to go to school, or whether or not he would actually be going to school, etc, etc, I just listened to what he had to say and let him know I understood. Meanwhile, I continued the drive to school, and by the time we got there, he had forgotten that he didn't want to go. There was no tantrum in the car, no tantrum when we got to school. If I had responded with something like, "But its a school day. You are going to school" then he would have started to argue and cry and feel out of control of the situation. That's when the tantrum starts, and it is way more difficult to diffuse a tantrum than to just hear him out from the get-go.
-------------------------
Bathtime:
Playing "Mama Says" which is the same as "Simon Says". Rules: When I say "mama says" you have to do the thing that I tell you to do. For example, "Mama says touch your nose." If you don't do what mama says, the game is over. If you do something and I did NOT say "Mama Says", I pretend to tickle you (now that I'm thinking about it, maybe that's when I wash part of his body). "Mama says touch your toes to your nose. Mama says blow bubbles in the water (this gets his face clean). Mama says swim like a fish (this gets the soap off). Mama says swim on your back (this kind of gets his hair a little wet if it is a shampoo night)." etc, etc.
