Survivor Parenting!

   So I shared with you my theory on parenting like Survivor right?  Outwit, outplay, outlast and always win... or make it look like you did!

    How do I do these things??  Well, my favorite example was when Caleb was 2 at a friends house and he wouldn't say thank you.  I told him he couldn't get out of the highchair until he said thank you.  He refused.  So I just brought the high chair outside and he sat while all the other kids played- outplayed.  He thought he was winning and playing mom because obviously we have to go home sometime right?  Ah, yes but I outwit him.  When it was time to go it was bedtime.  I told him again to tell Miss Mandy thank you but he refused.  So I told him he couldn't have his pacifier until he said thank you! Whoa!  Don't mess with a two year old's "nunny".  In the car he asked several times and I kept reminding him he needed to say thank you.  Nope.  So now, outlast.  I put him to bed and he continued to play the game and never even cried.  He did ask for it again several times before he fell asleep. Finally at 2am he woke calling for his "nunny".  I brought it in and showed it to him in my hand and told him he can have it when he says thank you.  He did a big huff, looked at me and said, "thank you!" took his pacifier, popped it in his mouth and went to sleep.  I won!!  Did I really?  Nope, he never said thank you to Mandy, BUT I made it look like I won!  Mommy was in control not the two year old!!

   I prefer to work on obeying mom and dad by practicing in times of  "non-conflict" BUT when the challenge is presented... game on!  My older boys will laugh now because if they start something I'll look at them and say, "You wanna play with me???" with a grin on my face.  They know I am TOTALLY up for the challenge and I WILL find a way to win.

  Sometimes I've gotten caught off guard by my oldest two as they grow.  If that happens I talk with Paul and we start thinking of how we want to handle it.  Sometimes it really can be simply outlasting a challenge but at other times we have to find was to outwit or outplay.  Sometimes your brain will actually hurt!  Darn those kids!  They're really tricky when it comes to getting what they want!  But our job is to give them what's best for them and what they want is not always what's best.

Parenting isn't easy but I have to say I enjoy the challenge... most of the time!!