The Surprising "Fun" Solution
to Kids' Moods and Attitudes
- by Nicole MacKenzie
As a parent, are you at your wits end? Does your child control you? Does your
child act up in public? Does your child ignore you, whine, argue,
show disrespect, have "moods" or "attitudes",
throw tantrums, and drive you crazy? If this sounds familiar, you
aren't alone. Parents across the country face the same problems. And,
teachers tell us over and over that kids are often disrespectful.
Education can take a back seat because so much time and energy is
spent on discipline. Are your children often out of control?
Parents today have a big responsibility. They want to raise responsible,
happy children, but how?
Everyone will agree that a working mom has a full load. She gets
tired. She gets frustrated. She may feel guilty because she cannot
be a full-time mom. What can she do? Relax, help is on the way in
the form of a new, easy to use educational system that teaches parents
how to hold their children accountable by using responsive versus
reactive parenting techniques.
The first rule is simple: Mom Has Fun. What a concept – you
can be a great mom and have fun doing it!
Parents often fail to realize that child rearing can and should be
fun. Actually, it's your duty to have fun. Otherwise, how can you
be a good parent? If you aren't having fun, the kids probably aren't
either. And worse yet, if you aren't careful, you as a parent can
become a "victim" of your child's controlling or whining
behavior. When this happens, your child can get out of control and
grow up trying to control others. Your child will be unhappy, disrespectful,
and will not be a responsible adult. You must change this situation,
and do it quickly.
Many parents think it's their job to make sure their kids have fun.
Not so! The new parenting model shifts this focus completely. The
kids actually look out for mom (or whoever is "in-charge"
at the moment) – making sure that mom has fun. Your kids really
do want you to be happy and they have fun doing it. A frustrated,
trying-to-keep-order mom will never have fun, and out-of-control and
frustrated children are never satisfied, and certainly are far from
happy. This simple shift of focus changes that. Children have fun.
Parents have fun.
To make this dramatic shift, parents need to establish and maintain
boundaries. Check out your space (your home) and decide what rules
you want to implement. Be realistic. Don't be selfish, but be honest
with your assessment. You are important, too. When kids know the boundaries,
they respect them. Your child's self-esteem builds and a sense of
well being thrives. You're on the way! And don't forget that boundaries
provide security. Don't you function better in a safe, secure environment?
Well, your kids do too.
Watch out though. With boundaries, come tests. Sure, kids love boundaries.
They carry them around like a warm blanket, yet because they are kids,
they will do what kid's do best — test them.
Get ready. Be strong. Above all, stick to your word. You are being
tested. Do not fail this test. It will be the lifeblood of your survival.
And you must survive this one. Just remember that after a few tests,
your kids will back off. This is the win-win result you are aiming
for. You are then in control, without a battle of the minds with your
youngsters.
You will also notice that some rules may need adjusting or new ones
added. Don't worry. You can just "call a family meeting and discuss
the situation." Then move forward with the new plan.
This is just one of the simple Mom Has Fun Parenting steps that can
quickly change your parental role from a weary mom to a happy mom
with happier, more responsible kids.
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