“Boo Says”- My daughter & Politics

So, While Daddy and I were watching the news, Boo came in to ask a question. I don’t even remember what particular show we were watching, but on it, there was a republican and a democrat arguing loudly, as is pretty much ALWAYS the case, on ANY political news media channel!

Well, Instead of asking me her original question, she was so INTERESTED in the arguing that she began to question me about the news show, and what they were all yelling about.

I told her they were arguing about the President.

Of course, then she asked me what a “PRESINET” was, and this was what followed:

Me: The President is someone who helps make the rules for everyone in America.

Boo: But mommy, you’re the boss and you make the rules!

Me: I know baby, but I’m not everyone’s boss, I can’t tell them (the news media) or anyone else what to do!

Boo: BUT, You should, they (news media)  need a time out. Put the Presinet in there too! You should just be boss, then everybody would be happy like me and daddy cause you are the best mommy in the whole world and you give us ice cream and kiss our boo boos and take care of us when we’re sick. Everyone needs my mommy to be boss!
First of all, her pronunciation of President as “Presinet” is quite possibly one of the most adorable things in the world!

Secondly, I just LOVE how she calls me the boss, lol

Thirdly, how amazing is it that my 4 year old is not only INTERESTED in politics, but has her OWN political ideas?

And Lastly, would you vote WILD MOMMY for Presinet?

I’ve got a great platform… “An ice cream in every hand and a kiss for every Boo-boo”

OH! And mandatory time outs for politicians and news media people… lol

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Build your child by building your family

Hey Everyone!

First of all, I want to apologize for my inconsistency in blogging these past few weeks.

Combine a dying computer with a sick family and it’s definitely a recipe for BLOG KILLING! lol

But, I’m back now, family is healthy and the computer seems to be doing it’s thing. (We’ll see how long that lasts)

But, what I really want to talk about today is the sad state of family relations in today’s world.

Really, I began writing WILD MOMMY, for me. It was a way of allowing myself to share the things I felt were important in parenting. And possibly, to help anyone out there who wanted to become a better, more involved parent. I never intended to have this blog be more than my shared thoughts and ideas, but it became more,

As well as being an expression of my Wild Mommy Heart, it became an outlet for me to confront ISSUES I see plaguing the parenting world and our children’s futures.

Well, here’s my biggest issue, The BREAKDOWN of family. Families today do not communicate or connect like they used to anymore. The problem with a family that doesn’t connect or communicate is that is creates a kind of “Lost” feeling in young children. Without a strong family bond, children feel less grounded and less secure. It can also cause self-esteem issues and even mental health issues.

Now, Most people who discuss this issue jump right into unwed pregnancies, divorce and even homosexuality.

And what I want to say to all that is… WRONG!

There is absolutely NOTHING SPECIFIC about those things that CAUSE the breakdown of family.

I can see how someone might like to argue that point with me. Because there definitely is CORRELATION between those things and this epidemic of “LOST CHILDREN”. But the fact of the matter is, no matter what TYPE of family situation you have, YOU STILL HAVE FAMILY.

What truly matters is the involvement and love AMONGST the family.The problem I see with a lot of families today is there simply is NO INTERACTION.

So many families out there are suffering simply because parents are too “busy” to stop and talk to their children.

It’s heartbreaking.

As a parent, it is YOUR JOB to guide your child. And that means STAYING ENGAGED!

Too many times I see kids being parented by TV or TABLETS, Parents who have NO IDEA what their children are doing and children who are just, AWFUL. I have no other way to put it. I see children who have NO RESPECT for adults, no concern for other people around them and to top it off, they have a sense of “entitlement” growing because of society. It’s an UGLY combination.

But all of it can be stopped simply by BONDING your family.

As parents, we set the stage for how connected we want our children to be with us. If you put effort into them, they WILL return the effort and stay connected with you.

And when tough issues come up, TALK TO YOUR KIDS.

Tell them EVERYTHING about the world, because ONE DAY they will be in it ALONE!

It’s a parent’s job to make sure children have the best assets possible when they enter into the world.

That means informing, encouraging, loving and supporting them. Which means you have to stay involved CONSISTENTLY!

Not only stay involved, but you have to encourage a BOND between yourself and your child, as well as encourage a BOND between grandparents, siblings, cousins, etc. You want to create a STRONG root system for your child to be able to get everything possible from life. And that strong root system allows them a sense of security in the world, as well. They will always know they have support and love, which will create in them a very STRONG character foundation.

By creating that strong foundation, you not only will have a child with a feeling of security, but it will actually BOOST your child’s self-esteem. A child who knows that at home they have close, loving, bonded relationships, will then go out into the world a HEALTHY, LOVING person, who feels secure in themselves. They will make better decisions on LOVE, because they will have knowledge of what a true BOND means. But, it’s more than that. You actually take some of the sting of REJECTION away, by having a strong family bond. That root system allows a child to explore relationships, while always having the security of a CONSTANT, UNENDING bond. So, when/if they experience heartbreak, the love of their family can actually help to ease the pain.

It is just simply the most important aspect of parenting.

As parents, we MUST provide that love, support and BOND that will help our children to become WHOLE, confident, secure adults capable of sharing and HEALING their hearts.

Join me next time as we go back to the MOMMY BLUES and take a look at Misbehaving: Not listening. We’ll begin by identifying the different reasons children do not listen, then I’ll share some of my favorite tips for how to CHANGE that!

Until Next Time,

Wild Mommy MC

@Wildmommymc

WildMommyMC@yahoo.com

EXCUSE me? What did you just SAY?- Bad attitudes, meet Wild Mommy!

Continuing with the Mommy BLUES, our next topic is BAD ATTITUDES and how to handle them!

Of course, with all of my advice, not EVERY CHILD has each and every particular issue.

I have been lucky in some areas and troubled in others. We have had easy success and troubled triumphs.

But one thing we have struggled with in particular is today’s topic, BAD ATTITUDES. And I have seen it a LOT in children today.

To begin with, I want to reiterate something I mentioned in my “Children and Cursing” Blog: It all begins with YOU. If you have a bad attitude, or exhibit any negative outlets of emotion your child will begin to employ those very techniques in their own lives. Especially when they are YOUNG. Their minds are  like SPONGES, taking in ALL information and employing it in their lives. So my first piece of advice, which UNFORTUNATELY comes from experience, watch your OWN attitude!

Now, there are different ways that a bad attitude can show in your child’s behavior.

It may be:

A Smart Mouth

A Spoiled Disposition

An Angry/withdrawn Temperament

And of course, there are MANY little things that they do like crying, tantrums, etc. that are manifestations of a BAD ATTITUDE.

The issue with these kinds of behaviors is that they ARE, in FACT, a DISRESPECT.  By doing any of these they are undermining your authority and disrespecting you, as their parent.

The first thing I ever suggest is to simply say “That behavior is unacceptable.” Of course you may need to alter it like “That attitude is a NO-NO” or WHATEVER, just a clear, concise statement that the remark and/or action is NOT going to be allowed. And you have to nip it in the bud, IMMEDIATELY. Don’t ever let them get away with it. As soon as they have shown their bad attitude, you call them on it and let them know EXACTLY where you stand on that behavior.

Then, depending on your type of parenting, there are a multitude of things you can do. Spanking, Time-Out, Grounding… Heck, I actually had my mouth washed with soap, at least one time, I can remember! I personally find that if the remark or action is BAD enough, one swat to the behind can really nip it, but that is MY way. Not for everyone. But, I also employ time-outs and groundings.

But an important aspect of ANY disciplining is that in the end, you have an open conversation explaining the negative effect of their attitudes and make them apologize. I cannot stress how important it is to create the habit of apologizing for negative behavior. Not only does it help them to become caring and considerate people, they learn to have humility when they have wronged someone. And, in the beginning of their little lives, they simply will not KNOW and sometimes not REMEMBER the need to apologize and make amends, so you HAVE to MAKE them apologize, but you also need to explain WHY they should apologize. I think I have said this before, but I like to use the “In my Shoes” technique and tell them to imagine how they would feel if I had done or said the same thing to them. Often, that will get them to apologize on their own.

Join me FRIDAY as we continue with MISBEHAVING: NOT LISTENING. Where we will discuss how to get your child to pay attention and respect your rules!

Until Next Time,

Wild Mommy MC

@WildMommyMC on twitter and facebook

WildMommyMC@yahoo.com

Children and !#@*# Cursing!

Continuing with our Mommy Blues, we take a look at Potty MOUTHS!

When discussing children and cursing, you have to decide what you want to do.

Are you wanting to prevent childhood cursing or prevent lifelong cursing?

Preventing Life-Long Cursing-

I know more parents that choose this option, not wanting their children to ever  pick up the habit of cursing. Well, the best, easiest, most efficient way to prevent cursing from ever entering your child’s vocabulary is by not cursing YOURSELF and not allowing your child to be around anyone who DOES curse. You can also limit what types of music, movies and TV they are subjected to, therefore limiting the RATING and amount of cursing. Now, I’m not saying they will not get exposed to cursing ever, But you have the power to greatly limit their exposure. And when your child IS exposed to foul language, you point out that that language is not acceptable. If your child begins to curse, I suggest using whatever punishment you would normally use. It needs to be as important an offense as any.

Preventing Childhood Cursing-

However, I have known some parents that choose this option, teaching their children when and where it is appropriate to curse. Though this way of parenting means allowing your child to speak freely, I recommend following the procedure for life-long cursing (limiting exposure to cursing) until your child is mature enough to COMPLETELY COMPREHEND the limits of appropriate cursing. Then, when your child is mature enough to understand, you can explain to them who it is appropriate to curse in front of and what it curses are appropriate and when they are appropriate. And of course, there should be punishment for breaking any rules of appropriateness.

There are probably many parents that would argue for either side of parenting on this aspect. But, in my opinion, either one is fine. I personally, have chosen the second type. My daughter is allowed to speak freely, because I couldn’t honestly say to her “Do as I say not as I do”. And I curse. So, I told her that she needed to make up her own mind on cursing, but she should ONLY do any cursing when she was ALONE or in front of me or my boyfriend (daddy) because we were okay with it. But she was also taught to never curse AT us. and she has only had to be punished ONCE for doing that. But, my daughter is fairly mature when it comes to commanding language, so I trust her to not curse. And well, even though we’ve given her the freedom to curse, the most she ever says is “freakin”, which really doesn’t bother me. And she never uses it TOWARDS anyone.

But if you choose to prevent cursing for LIFE, the best thing you can do is set the example. But I found a technique that can help. Give your child ALTERNATIVES to curse words. When my daughter was younger, and sometimes even now, she would say “Jive turkey”, “sucker”, “fool”, “don’t be a square”, etc. My boyfriend and I had noticed her beginning to pick up cursing from hearing us and other various friends and family, so we stepped in on the offensive and gave her an arsenal of non-curse, curse words. It really worked. She stopped picking up other people’s curses and started using hers. And, it was SUPER CUTE! lol

The most important thing is decided what you want to do, then sticking to it. Remember, if you do not want you kid to curse, you really have to not curse yourself. As well as monitor their exposure to other cursing. If you don’t do that, their sponge-like brains will simply absorb all of those words and begin spitting them out, usually at the WORST times!

So, join me MONDAY as we continue with the next Mommy Blue, which also involves bad MOUTH habits. Talking about kiddos having a BAD ATTITUDE. I know I have struggled with this, but I have a few tips and tricks along with basic ideologies that can really help cool their attitudes.

Until Next Time,

Wild Mommy MC

@WildMommyMC on Twitter and Facebook

WildMommyMC@yahoo.com

Potty Clock

The Potty Clock is a GREAT craft that CAN be done with you toddler’s help! The toddler clock is a clock you decorate/alter in order to help with potty training! To see how it can help, check out my blog:  FLUSH your FRUSTRATIONS!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1 battery operated clock, adhesive Velcro (I prefer the little circles), poster board (the thicker the better), scissors and your choice of  6 “markers” (Ex: Jewels, trinkets or maybe even hand-drawn pictures)

First, you begin by cutting the Velcro into squares the same size as the numbers on your clock. You need 18.

Then, you cut the poster board into squares slightly LARGER than the Velcro. Again, you need 18.

On the front of 12 of the poster board squares you write the numbers 1-12.

On the front of 6 of the poster board squares you adhere the marker or draw a picture. (Better to use permanent marker or CRAYON for that)

Then, Adhere the back of the NOT FUZZY side to the clock face, covering ALL the hours/numbers on the clock face. and, adhere the back of the FUZZY side to the back of the 18 poster board squares

( You can use the adhesive type Velcro for the clock, poster board and markers or use REGULAR Velcro and GLUE for more security )

Then, using each number and marker, you can set up the schedule for their potty training, depending on when they wake up!

If they use the potty every TWO hours, you can use the clock like a REGULAR clock with altering numbers/markers.

If they use the potty every HOUR, just convert the clock to a 1-6 clock, alternating numbers 1-6 with markers. The clock will simply circle TWICE!