I swear, knowing what I know now, if I could go back to college and take classes in child psychology, I totally would. It didn’t seem particularly useful at the time, but boy would they come in handy now! I’m definitely learning to use Baby B’s possessiveness to my advantage, though.
If you’ve seen Finding Nemo, then you know what I mean when I say she’s like the seagulls in the movie: “Mine? Mine! Mine? Mine!” Everything is hers, whether it’s really hers or not. But we’re starting to use this to our advantage.
It’s pretty simple, really. These are the facts: Baby B won’t let me put on her coat. Baby B hates it when someone has something of hers. Solution? Pretend to put her coat on one of her daycare friends, and she runs over saying, “Mine! Mine!” with her arms stretched out, ready for the coat to be put on without a fight. She won’t get in her booster seat for breakfast? Solution: Try to sit in the chair myself, which again has her running over quickly, asking to be placed in the seat.
It’s also one of our biggest weapons in the daily dinner battle. She seems to eat best whenever we try to take things from her plate and pretend to eat them ourselves. We feign surprise and disappointment that she would dare take the food back from us, and she feels like she’s won that little battle.
Meanwhile, we win the war.
Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 4:52 pm |
Aren’t these mind games the BEST?!? Our kids will scream bloody murder that they don’t want to go to bed, but if Hubbies “beats” them to the bathroom, they can’t stand it. They have to be first at everything. We totally use it to our advantage. I hope the system you have going for your family works for a LONG time to come!
Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 7:10 pm |
Ahhh, the terrible 2’s! Ryan is showing subtle signs of this, but nothing major yet. Can’t wait!!
Hugs,
Jen
Friday, December 5, 2008 at 11:31 am |
Oh, this is a GREAT plan! We are just now getting to the mine, mine, mine stage, so I will definitely keep this little tip in my backpocket for future use. Thanks!
Sarah
Friday, December 5, 2008 at 1:16 pm |
I swear, you must be writing about MY daughter
LOL
Another one: K refuses to take medicine in the plunger if she has to, but if we let HER do it, there you go.
My fave: insisting on feeding herself but then fighting w/mama when grabbing the spoon/fork back and the food goes FLYING backwards on the floor, in hair, etc., *fun times*
and I”m glad I’m not the only one who fights jackets, etc. Ahhh, the fun. It is fun, though, in the long run,when we parents are just one up on them in the psychological manuvers! LOL