She is four.⠀
She is demanding television ALL OF THE TIME!⠀
She is melting down with every ‘No’ or reason you give.⠀
⠀
It doesn’t matter how little or how much she has watched tv.⠀
⠀
She has gotten bitten by the bug.⠀
⠀
You can blame yourself for introducing it.⠀
⠀
You can regret using it that one day when you needed to get things done.⠀
⠀
You can huff and puff that grandma overdoes it.⠀
⠀
OR⠀
⠀
Save the lectures, save the grief.⠀
You can PARENT-UP!⠀
⠀
This problem is your golden opportunity to take a back seat.⠀
⠀
You can teach her how to troubleshoot her problem.⠀
⠀
This Mama let the drawings and the dates do the talking. *You know who you are ;)⠀
⠀
The beauty in this approach is that it isn’t all on the parent’s shoulders — the problem and the solution rest with her and her ability to see the situation from afar. Mapping out her solution involves balancing her fantasies versus the realities of her plan and emotional expectations.⠀
⠀
With encouragement, she will see beyond mom/dad and seek to negotiate or map out different outcomes for herself. ⠀
If she is not pleased, it is no one’s fault. She must learn to go back to the drawing board, design, and execute a Plan B.⠀
⠀
PS Don’t get bogged down with the noise. It is not important how many squares there are or how long the duration of each session is. ⠀
⠀
Think bigger!⠀
⠀
How can your child begin to solve their own problems in a way that will serve them in the bigger world!⠀
Let me know what are your Parent-Up moments.
