The Secret To Never Having A Misbehaving Child In Public - Trust Me, It's Fail Proof!
Don't have children.
That's the best I've got. Sorry to disappoint ;)
With that being said, books have helped me get through some of the most potentially hazardous situations. You know, the ones where you feel like you're about to enter an active mine field with 3 little boys who would rather do ANYTHING except hold your hand, or stay close. If they were asked to walk a white line sobriety test, they'd take one look at that white line, and their legs would give way from beneath them as they melted into the most dramatic puddle, sobbing, "I can't do it!!! My legs don't work!!!"
FAIL.
There is a reason why during one such meltdown, my husband decided that our parenting motto should be, "We do not negotiate with terrorists!"
To cope, my diaper bag was always well stocked with books that I could whip out whenever I found myself getting into hot water.
On the rare occasion when I realized I'd left the house without books, I would stop at any store on the way and purchase some. They were as necessary to me as diapers. And because my kids never had the option of a screen when we were out of the house, books were often enough to prevent boredom behaviors.
However, books will not always keep your kids attention in the same way screens do. This means that there will be times when you're "that parent" with kids who are struggling (very loudly) to abide by social norms. That's okay!
They are behaving according to their development, and any adults around judging a parent who's doing their best to manage a struggling child are the ones behaving badly and deserve a time out. Unfortunately, those adults are also behaving according to their development 😬
We've always turned to books instead of screens, and my kids now LOVE books. When they wake up in the morning, they usually head straight for the bookshelf, grab the coziest blanket out of the basket, and snuggle up on the couch. It's very often that I come out of bed to my three boys huddled around a book. Talk about payoff!
So, leave the screens and grab the books. The goal isn't perfectly behaved children now, but well adjusted human beings at some unspecified future time. It's worth it.
That's the best I've got. Sorry to disappoint ;)
With that being said, books have helped me get through some of the most potentially hazardous situations. You know, the ones where you feel like you're about to enter an active mine field with 3 little boys who would rather do ANYTHING except hold your hand, or stay close. If they were asked to walk a white line sobriety test, they'd take one look at that white line, and their legs would give way from beneath them as they melted into the most dramatic puddle, sobbing, "I can't do it!!! My legs don't work!!!"
FAIL.
There is a reason why during one such meltdown, my husband decided that our parenting motto should be, "We do not negotiate with terrorists!"
To cope, my diaper bag was always well stocked with books that I could whip out whenever I found myself getting into hot water.
On the rare occasion when I realized I'd left the house without books, I would stop at any store on the way and purchase some. They were as necessary to me as diapers. And because my kids never had the option of a screen when we were out of the house, books were often enough to prevent boredom behaviors.
However, books will not always keep your kids attention in the same way screens do. This means that there will be times when you're "that parent" with kids who are struggling (very loudly) to abide by social norms. That's okay!
They are behaving according to their development, and any adults around judging a parent who's doing their best to manage a struggling child are the ones behaving badly and deserve a time out. Unfortunately, those adults are also behaving according to their development 😬
We've always turned to books instead of screens, and my kids now LOVE books. When they wake up in the morning, they usually head straight for the bookshelf, grab the coziest blanket out of the basket, and snuggle up on the couch. It's very often that I come out of bed to my three boys huddled around a book. Talk about payoff!
So, leave the screens and grab the books. The goal isn't perfectly behaved children now, but well adjusted human beings at some unspecified future time. It's worth it.