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Cool Hand Conor Gets a Timeout
At 20 months old, Conor's just now at the age where we think he can understand right from wrong and can benefit from discipline. So we're now instilling the old 'timeout' rule. In his resistance to eating what he doesn't like, his rebellious act of choice is to throw food. We give him one chance to correct the behavior on his own.Then he gets a 30 second timeout in his playpen in the next room.
In true Conor fashion, he catches on fast. He cries the whole time and waits for us to come back. Tonight, after the third timeout for throwing his hotdog pieces, I asked him if he knew why he was in a timeout. He didn't respond so I reminded him. Then just as I had commented during the last two timeouts, he said with enthusiasm, 'Okay, let's go back into the room', meaning the dining room.
He's a great kid and takes his punishment well. But just as this picture suggests, it's bound to get more difficult as he gets older and gets an attitude. Time will tell!
How to raise your child to be an entrepreneur
Do you ever look at your child and wonder, "What's he/she going to grow up to be?" And do you wonder what role you play in that decision? Well, I sure do. I play the piano, the guitar and the flute for my son daily in hopes that he'll get interested in playing music when he gets older. I'm not saying I want him to be a professional musician, but I know that music has been a great communication tool for me when I need to get things off my chest. Or I want to tell others what's inside my head.
I read him books and tell him stories so he understands words, speaking and inflections of voice. I think it may help him enjoy books and reading when he gets older because that's where all the answers are. I try to pick out toys that are wooden, and fabric that are texturally interesting to the touch so that he appreciates aesthetics and design.
My wife and I talk and laugh around him and are affectionate so he sees that these are the ways we treat others that we care about.
But there's still something lacking as I try to teach my son how to think as an adult. I was always taught to work hard and everything else will follow. And it has worked out okay for me to some degree. But as I grew older, I saw that there were others around me that were not working as hard as me but were just as successful or more so. And I wondered, 'what do they know that I don't?" And one day I picked up the book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," and it began to sink in. (READ MORE…)
10 ways to get your picky eater to eat better
Why some kids can eat anything and others are picky eaters is a mystery. Some parents say they just feed their kids what the rest of the family is eating and they learn to eat it or go to bed hungry. While this sounds cruel to parents with picky eaters, think of it a different way; when you prepare a meal for the family, make sure it has enough variety that the kids have a good opportunity to find something in the meal that they will eat. In due time, they will learn to try other things that they will discover they actually like.
That said, there are ways to get kids to eat better. Here's some things to think about;
1. Kids need to eat every three to four hours. Schedules are important and when you begin to regulate a feeding schedule, you're on the right track The rule is 3 meals, 2 snacks and lots of fluids. Snacks might include carrots, pretzels, yogurt and water.
2. Respect your kid's appetite or lack thereof. If you try to force or bribe your child, you could be reinforcing a power struggle of food. Mealtime shouldn't be associated with anxiety or frustration. Try smaller portions so they're not overwhelmed.
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This week -"Little Blue Truck" by Alice Shertle
Many research studies show that boys learn to read at a slower pace than girls because they don't have male figures in their lives that read. So I've decided to ask men to read outloud to kids so that boys can see that it's cool to read. VISIT THE READING ROOM...