Comments on: Intentional Parenting Part 4: Pick Your Battles http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/ Tue, 18 Jun 2013 22:54:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Casey http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-9224 Casey Fri, 18 Jan 2013 01:06:23 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-9224 Hi! I found you via Pinterest and have really been enjoying reading all your parenting tips. I noticed you sometimes mention that you have your child come and sit by you for five minutes if they are misbehaving. Is this your version of time out? Not sure if you have explained this somewhere else but I'd love to hear more about it! My time outs involve having them sit by themselves on the entryway bench and being quiet. My oldest is six now and it's becoming less effective. Hi! I found you via Pinterest and have really been enjoying reading all your parenting tips. I noticed you sometimes mention that you have your child come and sit by you for five minutes if they are misbehaving. Is this your version of time out? Not sure if you have explained this somewhere else but I’d love to hear more about it! My time outs involve having them sit by themselves on the entryway bench and being quiet. My oldest is six now and it’s becoming less effective.

]]> By: Krysta http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-7637 Krysta Sat, 08 Sep 2012 15:28:40 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-7637 It helps in other ways too. You can give them choices sooner, which cuts down/eliminates tantrums. Do you want milk or juice (still sitting in your chair but can pick your drink), red shirt or blue shirt (also teaches colors) but you are wearing a shirt, etc. We us modern cloth diapers so my kids get to pick which one they wear, out of two options. Even my 6mo but she just reaches for the one she wants right now. They can start signing as early as 8 months. Most will drop signs once the learn the spoken version unless they have a deaf family member, but if they decide to learn it when they are older they will pick it up quickly. They also speak in longer sentences when they do start talking and tend to read better later. Loads of benifits. :) It helps in other ways too. You can give them choices sooner, which cuts down/eliminates tantrums. Do you want milk or juice (still sitting in your chair but can pick your drink), red shirt or blue shirt (also teaches colors) but you are wearing a shirt, etc. We us modern cloth diapers so my kids get to pick which one they wear, out of two options. Even my 6mo but she just reaches for the one she wants right now. They can start signing as early as 8 months. Most will drop signs once the learn the spoken version unless they have a deaf family member, but if they decide to learn it when they are older they will pick it up quickly. They also speak in longer sentences when they do start talking and tend to read better later. Loads of benifits. :)
Krysta´s last [type] ..Cloth diapering in the hospital

]]> By: Lisa http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-7636 Lisa Sat, 08 Sep 2012 13:06:37 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-7636 Krysta, you're one smart mamma! Lisa~ Krysta, you’re one smart mamma! Lisa~

]]> By: Krysta http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-7635 Krysta Sat, 08 Sep 2012 03:35:33 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-7635 One correction.. You can make them speak (not be quiet) IF you teach them sign language. I have a deaf Ed minor and have been teaching my son sign since birth, it really makes life easer. It turns out that my son is mute due to medical complications of extreme prematurity, so it was a good thing I was already teaching him. My healthy 20mo niece is also learning sign. With sign you can make them sign "please" "thank you" "sorry" when it is required. I am at the point where I can say "what do you say?" to my niece and she will sign please when requesting something and my son (2yo) does it on his own without prompting most of the time. My niece will eventually replace the sign with verbal but by that time it will be so ingrained that she will know what is expected of her One correction.. You can make them speak (not be quiet) IF you teach them sign language. I have a deaf Ed minor and have been teaching my son sign since birth, it really makes life easer.
It turns out that my son is mute due to medical complications of extreme prematurity, so it was a good thing I was already teaching him. My healthy 20mo niece is also learning sign. With sign you can make them sign “please” “thank you” “sorry” when it is required. I am at the point where I can say “what do you say?” to my niece and she will sign please when requesting something and my son (2yo) does it on his own without prompting most of the time. My niece will eventually replace the sign with verbal but by that time it will be so ingrained that she will know what is expected of her

]]> By: Mandy Gehman http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-6883 Mandy Gehman Thu, 12 Jul 2012 18:26:19 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-6883 We have been in the process of moving, so I am late getting around to reading/responding to this. I think your advice is wonderful, encouraging, and timely! Quick question for you: How do you work with your kids to keep their voices down? I have eight children, and there are plenty of times that each voice times 8 gets to be too much. I feel like the one thing my children hear me say most often is to quiet down - and I would much rather be remembered for saying something else! Any thoughts/ideas? We have been in the process of moving, so I am late getting around to reading/responding to this. I think your advice is wonderful, encouraging, and timely! Quick question for you: How do you work with your kids to keep their voices down? I have eight children, and there are plenty of times that each voice times 8 gets to be too much. I feel like the one thing my children hear me say most often is to quiet down – and I would much rather be remembered for saying something else! Any thoughts/ideas?

]]> By: Lisa http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-6728 Lisa Wed, 27 Jun 2012 00:15:51 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-6728 "There are 4 things you cannot make a child do. Eat, sleep, potty or speak/be quiet" I need to write that down where I can see it ,but my kids can't. Most of my battles are over food and bedtime and being too loud. I am beyond tired of it. I've never heard it put that way, thanks for the encouragment. “There are 4 things you cannot make a child do. Eat, sleep, potty or speak/be quiet” I need to write that down where I can see it ,but my kids can’t. Most of my battles are over food and bedtime and being too loud. I am beyond tired of it. I’ve never heard it put that way, thanks for the encouragment.

]]> By: rebecca http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-6727 rebecca Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:46:49 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-6727 thanks for the encouragement Lisa! thanks for the encouragement Lisa!

]]> By: Lisa http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-6723 Lisa Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:58:06 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-6723 Charity, you are always so encouraging! Thanks for the comment. I think we all need someone whispering in our ear occasionally! Lisa~ Charity, you are always so encouraging! Thanks for the comment. I think we all need someone whispering in our ear occasionally!

Lisa~

]]> By: Lisa http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-6722 Lisa Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:54:38 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-6722 Rebecca, this is a great question! Sitting still is harder for some kids than others. Not yet 2 is also a hard age for this, so you have a combination. First I'd say watch for resistance in other areas. If you think she's really trying but just can't do it that's different than if she refuses to try. Refusing to try means you have to just keep at it until she figures out that she can't win this battle. But if she's really trying and she is obedient across other areas I'd suggest giving her something small to do while she sits. Like a stuffed animal or something rubber or flexible that she can play with while she stays quiet. That way she doesn't have to be completely still, but stay on the "mat". Just keep at it. 2 year olds haven't yet learned to do things they don't want to and if you are consistent she will learn! Lisa~ Rebecca, this is a great question! Sitting still is harder for some kids than others. Not yet 2 is also a hard age for this, so you have a combination. First I’d say watch for resistance in other areas. If you think she’s really trying but just can’t do it that’s different than if she refuses to try. Refusing to try means you have to just keep at it until she figures out that she can’t win this battle.

But if she’s really trying and she is obedient across other areas I’d suggest giving her something small to do while she sits. Like a stuffed animal or something rubber or flexible that she can play with while she stays quiet. That way she doesn’t have to be completely still, but stay on the “mat”.

Just keep at it. 2 year olds haven’t yet learned to do things they don’t want to and if you are consistent she will learn! Lisa~

]]> By: Charity http://thepenningtonpoint.com/2012/06/intentional-parenting-part-4-pick-your-battles/comment-page-1/#comment-6720 Charity Tue, 26 Jun 2012 13:37:34 +0000 http://thepenningtonpoint.com/?p=5145#comment-6720 As always, great advice. I wish you could just come live with me for a few weeks and whisper in my ear when I need to be reminded of one of these points :) I LOVE that last paragraph. There are so many days when I go to bed and feel like all I did that day was fuss at the kids. I love that you say to MAKE a memory with them. It really isn't that hard, it's just so much easier to get caught up in all the "to-do's". I needed this!! As always, great advice. I wish you could just come live with me for a few weeks and whisper in my ear when I need to be reminded of one of these points :) I LOVE that last paragraph. There are so many days when I go to bed and feel like all I did that day was fuss at the kids. I love that you say to MAKE a memory with them. It really isn’t that hard, it’s just so much easier to get caught up in all the “to-do’s”. I needed this!!

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