Sometimes my kids don't listen.  I KNOW!!  It's hard to accept the fact that kids have minds of their own, stubborn streaks, and little pint-sized power assertions that make them tell a mother no. Perhaps you can relate.

But this may help us.  

If you're one of those parents of exceptionally well-behaved kids who always obey and never resist direction, good for you.  Please email me and tell me your secrets and then I'll blog about you.  But for now, please take my advice on learning to manipulate your kids in new ways.

Maybe you're already practicing this because it's not a new idea.

Introduce as many addictive games and snacks as you can!  Video games, online games like Sprout Online and Disney Jr., strawberry shortcake with light whipped cream, reduced-fat cheese balls,  and more.  And then as soon as they disobey, threaten to take those things away until they do what you want.

Withholding fun and tasty things gets my three girls in the bathtub without a fight, it motivates them to clean up spilled bins of toys, and sometimes it even gets them to eat a carrot.

Perhaps there are better things to get them addicted to and then withhold than snacks and games, but Healthy Children.org says the idea of taking away privileges does have some merit.  We just have to make sure we follow through with the consequence.

New goal:  Get them to love avocados and quinoa as much as I do so I'll have better options to work with.

 

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