Little Tyrant
As a teenager, I got a summer job watching a one and a two year old. I knew nothing about toddlers and had no real experience. I didn't even have any contact with youngsters.
Of all of the insturctions the parents gave me, one stood out from among the others. They said that when their two year old didn't get her way, she would hold her breath. I was instructed, at that point, to throw a glass of water on her to make her breathe. Surprisingly, I didn't announce that I had no intention of doing that, but I knew right away no two year old was going to pull that stunt on me. (Call it strong will, if you like. Not the child's, mine.) She didn't attempt it at first. She had to get to know me a little, first. Then one day, the magic moment came. She became angry and held her breath. I said, "Go ahead", turned my back on her and walked away. She never attempted it again. Why would she? She had gained nothing.
Sometimes, when I am shopping, I hear parents and their little children engaged in "showdowns". Sometimes, parents will buy a fast food meal that, in my opinion, is way too much for a little child to eat. Then they will insist that their child finish the meal. Forced overeating. Boy, do I hate that one.
Many times, the fight is over something a child wants. The parent says no, but after the child kicks and screams, the parent relents, guaranteeing the exact same scenario next time. The parent has just effectively taught that child that if they make enough of a fuss they will get their own way.
Then there's my favorite. A parent commands a child to do something. The child doesn't do it. Then the parent begins to count. I'm not sure how far the counting goes before some action ensues. Moral of that story? No need to obey your parents on first command.
Did I mention time outs? What is that supposed to prove? What ever happened to good old fashioned spanking?
I love it when I'm out somewhere with my kids and someone starts to "carry on". Invariably, my kids will say, "That kid needs a good spanking."
It worked for me. It worked for my kids. It is prescribed in the Bible. Want to argue with it? Go ahead. Call it aggression. Say it will hurt their little psyches. Don't say I didn't warn you when your child becomes an unmanageable monster.
Of all of the insturctions the parents gave me, one stood out from among the others. They said that when their two year old didn't get her way, she would hold her breath. I was instructed, at that point, to throw a glass of water on her to make her breathe. Surprisingly, I didn't announce that I had no intention of doing that, but I knew right away no two year old was going to pull that stunt on me. (Call it strong will, if you like. Not the child's, mine.) She didn't attempt it at first. She had to get to know me a little, first. Then one day, the magic moment came. She became angry and held her breath. I said, "Go ahead", turned my back on her and walked away. She never attempted it again. Why would she? She had gained nothing.
Sometimes, when I am shopping, I hear parents and their little children engaged in "showdowns". Sometimes, parents will buy a fast food meal that, in my opinion, is way too much for a little child to eat. Then they will insist that their child finish the meal. Forced overeating. Boy, do I hate that one.
Many times, the fight is over something a child wants. The parent says no, but after the child kicks and screams, the parent relents, guaranteeing the exact same scenario next time. The parent has just effectively taught that child that if they make enough of a fuss they will get their own way.
Then there's my favorite. A parent commands a child to do something. The child doesn't do it. Then the parent begins to count. I'm not sure how far the counting goes before some action ensues. Moral of that story? No need to obey your parents on first command.
Did I mention time outs? What is that supposed to prove? What ever happened to good old fashioned spanking?
I love it when I'm out somewhere with my kids and someone starts to "carry on". Invariably, my kids will say, "That kid needs a good spanking."
It worked for me. It worked for my kids. It is prescribed in the Bible. Want to argue with it? Go ahead. Call it aggression. Say it will hurt their little psyches. Don't say I didn't warn you when your child becomes an unmanageable monster.
Comments
Post a Comment