They say you learn something new every day. And while I don’t always take the time to reflect on what it is that I’ve learned, some days it’s hard to miss. Some days it can be down right humbling. Like when you learn something from a person that has not yet turned two. In front of your friends. Who I’m sure were not judging.
It started simply enough. I asked my kid to eat his sandwich. Just one bite. I took the time to make it, and he said he was hungry. No problem. Until he refused to eat. I threatened with tim
e out. He said fine. Time out sounds good. Uh oh. Isn’t time out supposed to be bad? Now what? Well I threatened, I yelled, I tried to shove food in his mouth. All in front of other moms and kids. Embarrassing? Most definitely. Have you been there too? Most assuredly. Then the aha moment. I told him if he ate his sandwich, we could go play. A reward? Well, it worked like a charm. He ate most of the darn thing without a hint of stubbornness. Go figure.
e out. He said fine. Time out sounds good. Uh oh. Isn’t time out supposed to be bad? Now what? Well I threatened, I yelled, I tried to shove food in his mouth. All in front of other moms and kids. Embarrassing? Most definitely. Have you been there too? Most assuredly. Then the aha moment. I told him if he ate his sandwich, we could go play. A reward? Well, it worked like a charm. He ate most of the darn thing without a hint of stubbornness. Go figure. So, the next time you are battling it out with your toddler, here’s a helpful hint from one mom to another. Sometimes a reward is better than a punishment. Now why did it take me three decades to learn what my son knows at less than three years?
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