|
|
Children are mirrors - or how to avoid terrible
twos
Children are the best mirrors especially when they are young. They shine
back brightly the things we do and say. Is it any wonder that parenting
can be so frustrating at times - we see ourselves in our children! 
I remember when my children were babies, everyone warned me of the times ahead
when my children would reach the terroristic age of two.
I was told children become negative, shout "NO", throw temper tantrums, and
otherwise test the waters. I waited nervously as my oldest, a sweet even
tempered child, approached the age of two. I braced myself to face this horrible
time. Two years came and went.
Three years came and went. The terrible twos didn't happen. We never
experienced the "No, no, no" so prevalent in many children. It was then
that I realized how much children mirror us. I looked at some other children
who I knew who were definitely into "No" and I looked and at the parents and
heard of often "No! don't do that" "No! don't touch" "No!"
My child didn't hear the word "No" very often, so I did not get it mirrored
back to me.
So how do you avoid saying "No"? Here's some simple suggestions
- Arrange your home to be a child's home.
- Remove knick/knacks, statues, vases, and other adult objects. Pack
them away or better yet give them away.
- Remove any dangerous furniture - anything with hard or sharp surfaces.
- Anchor bookshelves to the wall and remove any really special books to
the highest shelves. Place coloring books and toys on the lower shelves.
- Never leave objects children shouldn't play with within their reach.
- Allow children to explore & be messy
- In the kitchen, store unbreakable things on their level: pots, pans,
plastic dishes. Don't forbid access to the cabinets with these items.
- Allow free reign to as many rooms in your home as possible.
- Let them play in the dirt, spill food, explore messiness.
- Allow kids the test their physical limits.
- Explain the limits and rules instead of just saying no. You'd be
surprized what a young child can understand.
- Before going anywhere, explain what behavior is expected.
- Be positive and catch them in the act of doing something good and praise
them.
- And last but far from least - Have Fun!
|
