We used last week's Dr. Seuss Family Fun Night as a way to give parents this networking opportunity. Our "What Would You Do If It Were You? Wall" displayed several parent-posed questions and throughout the night, parents were invited to give their advice by writing in their response.
Below you will find the questions and parent responses that we collected. Hopefully some of you you will find these words of wisdom helpful in some way! We plan to use Parent Advice Boards again in the future, so if you have a question that you would like to be asked, please comment below!
How do you respond to temper tantrums? What are some things you do that work for you?
- Let them get it out for a minute or two, then ask if they are ready to talk about it and how they may better handle their emotions.
- I initially walk away and ignore them, then come back and try to change their attention to something else.
- I ignore them and talk about how calm I am being until they calm down.
- Eat them in front of the kids to encourage them to try.
- It’s a chore on the chore chart
- Our daughter eats what we eat. If children see their parents eating, they will follow suit. We don’t give any other options other than what I cooked. She will eat when she’s hungry. This has never failed—even when she went on strike for a day!
- I put peanut butter on apples and they love it!
- Disguise them!
- I hide vegetables in a smoothie or baked goods.
How do you get your child to eat healthy foods?
- Stay consistent—bath, story, and sleep at the same time each night. Give a 30-minute warning before bedtime will start.
- Consistency is key! Avoid power struggles by giving (some) choices, ie. “Do you want to brush your teeth or put your PJs on first?”
- May not be the same time every night, but same steps: watch Sprout, bath, bed….
- Consistency and routine!
What different ideas do you use to establish a bedtime routine?
Do you incorporate positive discipline with your child? If so, how?
- Yes, by encouraging them to see their error and talking it out
- Praise positive/good behavior!
- I draw more attention and give lots of praise for good behavior. I redirect and don’t draw much attention to negative behavior.
What do you do to stop your child from biting?
- Teach them about “using words” or drawing to help deal with their emotions
- Bite them back
- ^ Ditto—it works
- Encourage the child to use their words