Children Challenges Choices

 

Happy Halloween is over-day!

Dear Parents, 

By today you are probably wondering why you just don't take your kids to visit the Artic the last 2 weeks of October!  Is all the sugar getting to you?  to the kids?   Remember to rest yourself and fill yourself and your children up with protein for the next couple of days.  They are probably getting plenty of carbohydrates.  By Tuesday you will need to be offering plenty of green veges- whatever they like.  By Thursday they should be pretty sick of all the sugar so you may want to suggest a "plan" to spread what is left in the pumpkin out for a while.  Let them help plan,  they will want to go overboard,  let it happen,  you want them to figure out for themselves that the candy doesn't make them feel better.   

These decisions you and your child/ren will be making require you to be at your most non-judgemental, non-angry self.  Can you do it?  Plan, plan, plan.  Don't discuss how much, when YOU are hungry or craving some of the sweetness too.  Get right with yourself before you take on a candy-hungry child!  Good Luck!  Let me know how it goes.  Hold tight to the line you two have agreed to follow. BE NICE, ignore any whining, crying, or temper tantrums. Remember we still have Thanksgiving and Christmas to go and I know you would really like those times to be peaceful.

Good eating!     Jean

Learning and Relearning

 Frustrations are a basic component of parenting.  We have ALL experienced it- when we are tired, when they are tired, when life seems too crazy, and in a host of different circumstances.  THAT is when we really wish we knew what to do with our kids, what would actually work to help our kids be happy, be willing to try new things, and be respectful of others. 

This is a "new" time in almost everyone's life.  Families have moved, people have lost jobs, 1 in 7 children live with hunger, parents are the teachers with help from computers, teachers are teaching with a less stable classroom population and often a smaller budget, children may be coming home to a newly empty house.  People are - fearful because they don't know what tomorrow will bring,  fearful of governmental change, fearful of significant financial instability, children are fearful because their families are fearful, they are afraid of losing their parents. 

I propose to listen to your concerns and provide a forum for helpful suggestions.  Please comment below and look for my answer and maybe ideas from other parents.    For now, know that the best place to run away to is the bathroom.  Go inside and lock the door.  Don't worry about your kids. Your children will probably just hang around the door crying and calling for you to come out.  YOU will calm down, relax and remember that the sun will still come up tomorrow!  Consider this your "time out" place.  You can tell your children that you were becoming upset and you needed a "time out".  In addition to getting time for yourself, you are also modeling excellent coping behavior!

Good Luck!   Jean

(11/01/2021)

Dear Parents, 

Happy Halloween is over-day!  By today you are probably wondering why you just don't take your kids to visit the Artic the last 2 weeks of October!  Is all the sugar getting to you?  to the kids?   Remember to rest yourself and fill yourself and your children up with protein for the next couple of days.  They are probably getting plenty of carbohydrates.  By Tuesday you will need to be offering plenty of green veges- whatever they like.  By Thursday they should be pretty sick of all the sugar so you may want to suggest a "plan" to spread what is left in the pumpkin out for a while.  Let them help plan,  they will want to go overboard,  let it happen,  you want them to figure out for themselves that the candy doesn't make them feel better.   

These decisions you and your child/ren will be making require you to be at your most non-judgemental, non-angry self.  Can you do it?  Plan, plan, plan.  Don't discuss how much, when YOU are hungry or craving some of the sweetness too.  Get right with yourself before you take on a candy-hungry child!  Good Luck!  Let me know how it goes.  Hold tight to the line you two have agreed to follow. BE NICE, ignore any whining, crying, or temper tantrums. Remember we still have Thanksgiving and Christmas to go and I know you would really like those times to be peaceful.

Good eating!     Jean