Parenting Classes.

Our new ward has a parenting class once a month, today was my first time going and it was awesome.  They ask a different sister to teach each month.

Today we got this handout with great reminders.

1. Be consistent

2. Keep it simple

3. Stay Positive {avoid saying no}

4. Don't reason with a child during an escalation cycle

Although Gregg and I are nowhere near perfect parents {in fact we feel like we have been horrible parents this summer with all the building stuff going on} we have always tried to do these things.

I think number one is especially important when it come to bed time.  Kids do well with consistency - it's just sometimes hard to keep to it as parents.  I feel like when I am more consistent with my kids then there is less threatening {which I try not to do anyway - but sometimes when you are not consistent or you start to try to reason with an "emotional drunk" child then the threats start to come out}.

Gregg is really good at number three and not saying "no" just because it is inconvenient for us.  If you stop and think about it a lot of the times we say "no" as parents its because our kids want to do something that might require us to clean up after them or might not be exactly what we were 'planning' for the day {think play dough, using scissors, getting out a game or stopping at the park}.  Really these things normally aren't going to mess up some big 'schedule' we might have for the day, but how often do you say "no" because we don't want to be inconvenienced?  It's something to think about!

Number four is more my strength - we call it being "emotionally drunk".  That is when I turn into a broken record and don't give in or even try to communicate {or reason} with my child.  If you start to try to reason with a child in an emotionally drunk state then they have just won by sucking you into their problem {or tantrum or what ever it is} and you to become emotionally drunk with them.  And you are both in an escalation pattern.