Sure, there is much I can do to express my opinion and inform them of right and wrong, but I know that trying to control them will only end up in a blubbery mess.
blubbery mess=me in tears, children in tears, no one listening to each other
They are responsible for their decisions.
They are their own person. Who am I to try to make them someone else?
I believe in consequences.
Everything leads up to a behaviour and from that behaviour a consequence occurs.
Does that make sense?
I am not going to get too behavioural here but this is really just a long way of saying that I do not force my children to eat every bite of their dinner if they choose not to eat it at that time. I do not force my children to sit at the table until their plate is clean. I do not sit at their side with a fork full of food trying to coerce them into eating it because then, um, who has the control? I do not feed my children because they wont do it themselves.
I just inform them that if they decide not to eat it, than they are not allowed to have any dessert or treats.
I also inform them that their bedtime snack will be their dinner.
No battles.
Just matter of fact.
And they make the decision.
Eating lasagna.
7 comments:
I think you won. I was/am a pick your battles kind of mom myself. They learn more from the consequences than they do the battle anyway.
Lol! Love it.
I Love it! I also give mine a time limit if they are fooling around but actually hungry. But if they just stop eating I let them get down. I just wish my MIL would agree with me on this decision!
Love it! As some one who studied behaviorism and childhood battles in college as part of my thesis I have to agree with you!
I'm a big fan of picking your battles. And also a big fan of laying down a consequence.
I'm with you! Sound advice on so many levels. Forcibly clearing your plate can lead to some nasty eating habits later on. :(
I fully agree with this...unfortunately I didn't feel this way with my first two children. I'm a slow learner. It just makes sense! WE are the ones being tortured when we sit and nag nag nag. Natural consequences = awesome.
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