Parenting

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I'm realizing that with my youngest child, I have to take a whole different parenting approach than I did with Russell.  Which makes sense considering they are two completely different children, with completely different personalities.  But still, you get into the routine of things just working a certain way, and when it doesn't work that way the next time around it kind of turns things upside down.  At least for me.  Recently, while reading my Maternity & Pediatric book, it dawned on me that I made need to tweak my parenting tactics with my second born.  With Russell I was always able to tell him to do something and for the most part he would do it and that was that.  I never really had to bargain or argue or threaten.  I'd maybe have to repeat myself because of his selective hearing, but that was about the extent of it.  

But with Brandon...Well Brandon has a list of excuses a mile long about why he can't or doesn't have to or shouldn't do something.  Some of my favorites are:

"But it's too heavy for my hands!"

"But I can't carry it all!"

"But I scared of the monster!"
"But I can't!"

"But I don't like it!"
"But it hurts my hands!" 

And the list could go on and on.  But I learned from my book that kids are all about having choices and having control of said choices.  So now, and it's been almost 100% successful, I give Brandon two choices for everything.  Like getting in the car.  After asking him two or maybe three times, I finally tell him that his choices are "You can either go get in the car, or I can help you get in the car."  I don't hear another word from him and he stomps his little way to the car.   Or eating dinner.  After two or three times of hearing him say "I don't like it" (only because he wants to go watch Dumbest Stuff on Wheels...Yes, I know, great show for my 3 yr old), I  give him the choice of "You can either eat your food yourself, or I can help you eat it."  It has worked like a charm almost every time.  So despite how I may sometimes feel, it appears that I in fact HAVE learned something in nursing school.  WOOHOO!!