Author: suburbandaddy

Home Alone

I am home alone with Things 1-3 this weekend.? SuburbanMommy has abandoned me in favor of a weekend of spa treatments, drinking, fine food, and Oscars.

We are halfway through Saturday and so far so good.? We went to a birthday party in the neighborhood this morning.? Right now, Thing 3 is napping, Thing 2 is watching Madagascar, and Thing 1 is upstairs in his room doing art.? At least I hope he is.? Last I saw, he was looking for a pair of scissors.

I think I’m good for the next hour or so, when the baby wakes up, the movie ends, and their batteries have recharged.? That should kick it up a notch or two.? Wish me luck.

I Love The Mall

This weekend we went to that suburban mecca otherwise known as The Mall. Normally, I hate anything to do with shopping, and malls are all about shopping.

But malls are also an excellent place to take kids. Lots of space to roam free. They can be loud, at least louder than I can tolerate at home. There is ample selection of kid friendly eats in the food court. And, at our mall, there is also the JetBlue sponsored, airplane themed play area.

Not for the faint of heart, mall play areas are filled with hyperactive, germ-laden kids, running, screaming, crying. Aaahh, reminds me of home.

The blur in the first photo is Thing 1 on his 18th lap around the play area. The blur in the second photo is Thing 2, four seconds later, as he also completes his 18th lap, trying to keep up with his brother.

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And finally, taking a rest together.

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Using Reverse Psychology On A Toddler

Toddlers are notoriously headstrong and their favorite word is “no”. Time to get dressed. No! Time to go to bed. No! Stop standing on the couch. No! Take those peas out of your nose. No! No! No!

So, what’s a parent to do? Just use reverse psychology. Reverse psychology has a complex definition. I call it simply a foolproof way to get a toddler to do anything. I find myself using it often. It really does work like a charm.

About 93.4% of the time, when I pick up the Things at daycare, Thing 2 refuses to sit in his car seat. It used to be that he fought over the brown seat, but since his older brother got a booster, now he just wants to sit in the back of the minivan.

Enter reverse psychology. After buckling the others into their seats, I tell Thing 2 to please get in his seat. Of course, the answer is No! OK I say, I’m going to leave with him out of his seat, so he’ll fall and get a boo boo when we’re driving.

At first, this was enough to get him to sit. Then he was on to me, so I began closing the doors and pretending to leave. Works every time. A couple of times I even started the engine, which sends him into hysterics, and he quickly gets into his seat. The other parents at daycare, who witness this, are probably reporting me to the authorities for driving without a car seat.

Another classic example…Most of the time, 93.4% to be exact, Thing 2 refuses to brush his teeth before bed. Instead, he likes to run and “hide” in his room. Not a problem. I just tell him I am going to brush his teeth without him, and proceed to the bathroom and turn on the faucet. He comes running every time.

Never mind that brushing his teeth without him makes no sense. To a toddler, it’s excruciating to think something, anything, will be done without him.

The possibilities are endless. To work effectively, you have to make sure to “sell it”. Start the car if they won’t sit down. Start putting on their pants when they refuse to get dressed. Put the pants on your head if necessary.

The key is letting a toddler think they are in control, which, obviously, is not the case. I’m the daddy. I’m in control. Wait a minute, I’m wearing toddler pants on my head and brushing my teeth with a Dora The Explorer toothbrush. So, who is in control?

You Can’t Beat An Original

It’s always the case that originals are the best. In movies, the original always beats the sequels (see Star Wars, Rocky, Godfather, Shreck). After all, if the original weren’t so good, there wouldn’t be any sequels in the first place. I find this logic holds true with the Baby Einstein videos.

The early videos were low budget. Like something I could make in my basement (why didn’t I think of it?). You can see someone’s hand in the videos moving the toys, and the kids are the daughters and friends of the creator, Julie Aigner Clark. But somehow they work better than the higher budget, animated, effect ridden ones after Disney bought the company.

Two of the best originals are Baby Mozart and Baby Van Gogh. I never quite bought into the Mozart Effect on kids. You know, the one that says listening to Mozart music makes babies smarter. But if you are looking for something that will capture the interest of your baby, for say, 30 minutes, so you can do something, like eat, or shower, or brush your teeth. Then Baby Einstein is for you.

If you are a new parent, or plan to be one, or know someone who will be, go for the original gift pack.

Parenting Poll Of The Week – How Many Kids?

According to last week’s poll, girls are harder to raise than boys. Most of you said the main reason was teenage girls and dating.

This week’s parenting poll is to find out how many kids is ideal. Obviously the ideal number of kids is subjective. I think it probably has to do with how you grew up.

If you had a lot of siblings, you probably want your kids to have the same experience. Or maybe it’s the opposite. Maybe you were always fighting for the attention of your parents, and want to be able to focus on only one or two kids.

What is your ideal?

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Aliens Still Have My Kid

The aliens returned two, but still have one.

At dinner tonight, Thing 1 ate all his fruit and vegetables. No bargaining, no pleading, no bribery. Then he had a bath, and asked to go to bed. At 7pm. No bargaining, no pleading, no bribery.

Usually, Thing 1 insists he go to bed after his two younger brothers because he is the biggest. Not tonight.

I like the alien Thing 1 that’s been with us for almost a week. He listens, helps, and cleans up. He plays nicely with his brother. But I know what the aliens are dealing with up there. This and this and this. It’s only a matter of time before Alien Daddy sends him back. Oh well, I’ll enjoy it while it lasts.

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