Mom, Mom, Mom, Mom, Until Your Ears Bleed

Blog post #373 of 365

Really mom just give him a moment. The longer you don't give him a moment the more moments he tries to demand! When I hear kids doing the mom, mom, mom thing I want to pick up their kid and give them an hour of undivided, loving attention but then I fear that will just make it worse!

Then there is the kid who wants his way. Wants his way no matter what! Will ask a million and a half times if that is what it takes to get it or get discouraged. I never liked the idea of discouraging kids.

I was watching a lawyer show ans was intrigued by the objection, asked and answered. Meaning the lawyer is going from a different angle or using semantics to ask the question twice. I had a son like that. I always thought he would be a good lawyer because he could ask the same question ten different ways. I always responded with already answered. He knew this meant I was aware of his tactics and he knew the answer.

When I was preparing to write this. (Yes I do prepare. Research stuff now and again.) I looked up asked and answered to make sure I knew what the lawyers were objecting to. I was right by the way.) I came across a parenting site www.positiveparentingsolutions.com  it used a similar approach that I did 23 years ago. Mine when like this.

After he would ask a second time I would say, "I have heard this question. then restate his original question so he positively knew I was listening to his request."
I would then ask him if I had answered that question.
He usually try to tell me it was somehow different to which I would say, "Already answered." He would stop in his tracks every time. He might try again many hours or a day or two later but all I needed to say was already answered.

The parenting site was a little more in depth. It said the parent should ask the child if her or she looked like the kind of person who would change his or her mind if they asked over and over again? My kids were smarter than that. They would say maybe I'll just have to keep trying to find out. I would never have allowed that! However I do like asked and answered over my already answered because it acknowledges the child's participation in the process.

What I'm getting at is please stop your kids from nagging you. Develop a routine for the second time they ask the question. Validate that they asked but please do not become the parent who ignores their child. It drives the rest of us bonkers!!!