Parenting 101 by Cami...

10 things about parenting I've learned lately...

1- The only thing a toddler hates MORE than having mom argue with them, is having mom NOT argue with them. Love this trick.

2- My favorite line is, "that's your choice". Be it good or bad, I'm not the one who needs to get upset because THEY are the one's that lose privileges when they make BAD choices. Not me.

3- Positive Reinforcement is much better than negative. When my kids are getting praised for "good choices" they've made. They are much more likely to make good choices that day. They love the good attention!

4- When were we, as mothers, told that we have to choose the consequences right away for their bad choices? I have a new idea. When Carson "loses a privilege" (Which is actually quite adorable to hear him say), he always asks what privilege he has lost. Until a few weeks ago, I would quickly think of some consequence and set it in order right away....UNTIL....I decided I didn't need to! Now, if I know what privilege he is losing, fine. If not, I tell him I'll let him know when I decide. This has been much more beneficial for me. For one, I don't end up taking something away in the heat of the moment that usually hurts ME more. (like cartoons!) And second, it gives me some time to see what will hurt the most. (sounds harsh, doesn't it?) For example, he lost a privilege the other day for making a bad choice, and I told him I'd let him know what it was later. Later, when he was BEGGING me to read him a story, I decided that would be a good privilege for him to loose. I knew it was something he really wanted at the time, so it would probably hurt the most, and teach him the best. Simple as that. No more quick thinking. I decide on my own time!

4- Sticker charts work. Whether you use a prize or not, all kids love stickers. Even Kenzie is thrilled just to put a sticker on the chart when she accomplishes a task.

5- The most important thing about parenting is being consistant! How exhausting this actually is!

6- Being consistant is much easier said than done.

7- Kids will always misbehave more when in public, when someone is at your house, or when you are on the phone. Why? Number one, they don't have your attention, and two, they think they can more easily get away with it! We need to teach them during these moments, that they CAN'T get away with it, or it will just get worse. My favorite thing to see is other kids in "time-out" in the isle of Walmart. Glad mine aren't the only ones!

8-Each kid is SO different, and therefore, need different ways of being disciplined. It's a good idea to learn the best ways of discipline for each child as soon as possible!

9-Kids can always do more than we think they can. We tend to baby them, and I think we need to give them MORE responsibility early on, for their OWN benefit. I'm not trying to push them to grow up too fast, but how are they ever going to learn to make their bed, when we always do it and assume they "are too little" and still don't know how? (Plus- making the top bunk bed is very difficult for a pregnant woman!)

10- Kids need love and time. Enjoy the time with them when they are young. I find myself thinking all the time, "Carson....PLEASE stop talking and asking questions!!!!" However, how much of our conversations am I going to miss when he gets to be a teenager and doesn't talk to me about anything at all??? I think we all need to cherish the time we have with our kids, no matter how old they are, and stop taking the time for granted! I love mine more than anything, and even when the days get rough (like yesterday), I know that being a mom is the most important thing I've ever done, and ever will do in this life. I need to enjoy it more, and take the time to create more meaningful memories with them everyday!


Thanks for reading. Hope all my jumbled thoughts made some sense to someone!