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On Friday, our family went to the local gym together – my husband headed to the racquetball courts for a quick game with our oldest son, and I met him a little later in the game room for pool and ping pong with the other kids. The great thing about the game room is since we go at off hours, we have the room to ourselves, which otherwise would be filled with teenagers. There is one pool table and one ping pong table, so we alternate who plays which game. I don’t personally care for pool, and leave it for my kids to play each other, or to play with my husband. I enjoy ping pong or racquetball more, and can play it with the older kids, who are getting to be decent players, or with the younger kids, who are lucky to hit the ball at all; forget about playing with any kind of rules!

Some people are naturally good at playing with their children, but I’m not one of them. I take my kids on fun trips and do nice activities with them, but I am usually in a supervisory position, not interacting in a parallel position to them. We read together and have great discussions, but that isn’t play either. Some time ago, I heard a mother of a large family said that she consciously made time to play with the kids – not to take them to the park, not to watch them play, not to buy them games (all of which are good, and things that I did, but not what she meant) – but to get down on the floor and play with them. At first I mentally rejected the idea, since it wasn’t something that felt natural to me. As I thought about it more, I realized that I was staying in my comfort zone as a parent by not being willing to do something a little different, something that I could clearly see being positive. Knowing that growth in all areas comes from overcoming my internal weaknesses and doing what I find difficult, I started to make the conscious effort to play with my kids.

I started with card games, like Uno and Skip Bo, that are easy to learn and quick to play. Then I went on to board games. I have definite preferences and my kids know that there are some games I’m much more likely to agree to play with them – basically, I prefer to play games that I like! Rumikub is a good one, so are Othello and Battleship. We also like Set and Quiddler (both card games). The kids play Monopoly and Life often, but both games take too long to play for me to sit down to the entire game. I avoid games like Stratego – it’s a great game, but it requires intense periods of concentration to formulate strategy, and I can’t play well while keeping an eye and ear on everything else going on in the house. Some games, like Scotland Yard and Clue, are fun to play with the entire family. I also have accumulated the kiddie versions of a number of games – Mastermind Jr., Boggle Jr., Rumikub Jr. – so that the younger kids can enjoy games that are age appropriate for them. I’ve found, however, that the kiddie versions tend to be very dull (and it’s hard for me to play something that is an endurance test), and that the kids quickly learn to play the older version by watching their siblings. I have always enjoyed puzzles, so that was something that was very easy to do with them, and it’s a wonderful feeling to have everyone working together one big puzzle at one time!

Then I really expanded my comfort zone, by racing with them one day when we went to the park. They loved it! They particularly loved it since they were used to me sitting by the side, watching them play, maybe pushing a swing or two. In the summer, I took them to the pool, and gave the younger kids bouncy rides in the shallow water while the older kids swam on their own. It was energizing to do something so physical with the kids – when I finished, I felt more alive and in shape than I did before I began.

Playing with our kids adds a wonderful dimension to our relationship with them. I spend all day, every day with the kids, but when we take the time to play together, it adds more depth to our relationships. It’s time that is spent together just purely enjoying one another. It is so easy to make excuses for why we can’t do it – we’re tired, we don’t enjoy it, we just want time for ourselves. Taking the time to play doesn’t need to take long, and doesn’t have to every day – but take the time to do it! You and your kids will be glad you did.

Avivah

We recently moved into a new home, and soon after the move, heard some squeaking sounds that we were unhappy to discover were mice. We quickly put out traps and poison, and waited for the end of our mouse visitors. No luck. We got more traps, including some from a professional exterminator that can’t be purchased in a regular hardware store that catch everything, supposedly. Still no luck. A friend told us about a major mouse infestation they had in the old home they purchased, and their unsuccessful attempts (similar to ours) to take care of the problem. What finally worked, she said, was getting a cat. I was reluctant to try this, since we have family members with allergies, but after seeing that it was either get a cat or live with mice, I borrowed a cat from a friend.

This cat was an outdoor pet, and in any case, different homes have different rules. I didn’t want her jumping on my furniture, or going up to the floor where the bedrooms were located, but she needed to be taught what our rules are. Since my kids were trying to be helpful with the training, I explained them what to do – not to move her before she did anything wrong, but to catch her starting to do it, and right away firmly move her; to speak to her firmly but not meanly when correcting her. I stressed that she couldn’t be allowed even once to stay on the furniture or visit the upstairs rooms. Every time she started to jump up or go up the stairs, I immediately moved her off and told her, “No”.

After one day of this, the cat no longer needed to be told – she just avoided the areas that we had taught her to stay out of. As I explained to my kids my approach and why, I realized that I had unconsciously been using the same approach I use when disciplining my children. And it works just as well for kids as for cats!

We can’t assume that our kids know how what our expectations are unless we take the time to teach them. They shouldn’t be held responsible for being unable to read your mind. It’s our job to help them learn what the guidelines in our homes are. But it’s not enough to tell children what the rules are. It’s crucial that you follow up and show that you mean what you say. Children need to see an immediate and consistent response from their parents, not long after they have done something wrong, but as soon as you see them starting to break whatever rule is involved.

An example of this would be, your child begins to throw something down – you immediately catch his hand, ideally before he has time to finish throwing it, and take whatever it is away, telling him firmly, “No throwing”. A child who starts to speak disrespectfully is immediately corrected, not after he finishes talking, but at the first hint of an improper tone. By dealing with issues as soon as they arise, you give your children a clear message. You are able to discipline without the anger that comes from waiting until it’s really too late and then feeling frustrated and resentful.

This seems like very simple advice, and it is – but very few parents do this. The younger you begin this process, the easier it will be for you. It is much harder to start teaching a twelve year old to respect what you say and show that you mean it, than it is an eighteen month old. There is no harshness or anger involved – just the commitment to following through on what you have said, every single time. This idea may seem very intimidating – I know it was to me. Establishing limits in your home will take time, but once your kids see you mean what you say, they won’t keep testing you. Your need to discipline will drastically drop, and result will be time you previously spent in some kind of conflict will now be time you can spend together doing much more enjoyable things.

Avivah

There is a frequently put forth idea regarding parenting that I was very influenced by when my children were younger: give your child freedom to do what he wants and he will learn to make good choices, without being coerced. (The obvious unspoken corollary is that telling your child what to do or how to do it is a bad thing and coercive.) And I tried to follow this philosophy. The time came, however, when I realized that as nice as it sounded, it just didn’t work.

When my oldest was five, the challenges of following a philosophy like this began to be felt in my home. I never raised my voice, always spoke lovingly, was careful to phrase what I said in the positive (didn’t want to damage his self-esteem by saying ‘no’). We spent lots of time together, went to parks, read books, snuggled. In fact, people often commented on what a wonderful and patient parent I was. So why was he acting out? I described the situation to a parenting expert who told me he was trying to get positive attention. This didn’t feel right to me, but I hadn’t yet learned to trust my internal compass, and I accepted her ‘diagnosis’. I tried to be even more positive and encouraging. But his behavior got more and more out of hand, until one day (he had just turned seven) my mom was visiting and saw how he was acting. She expressed her concern about it, and I told her what the parenting expert had told me. She responded strongly, saying, “I have never seen a child get so much positive attention – that is definitely not what he is missing!”

Somehow, hearing someone who saw how I parented around the clock say that helped me validate what I was feeling, that I really was giving him more than enough love and attention. It helped me see that he didn’t need more love – he needed limits. Because I wasn’t able to differentiate between punishment and discipline, I wasn’t able to see what he was begging for – clear boundaries. When he kicked a piece of furniture or hit a sibling and I gently redirected him instead of acting decisively and firmly, I was denying him something he desperately needed. Kids need their parents to set a standard for what is acceptable and appropriate. By giving them a clear sense of our expectations and consistently reinforcing them, we give them a priceless gift: the gift of inner security, of knowing they can trust us and rely on us.

Kids know that they don’t know everything, even though they want to look like they do sometimes. Think about how frightening it would be if you were told you had to fly a plane with no flight plan, destination, directions, or lessons. Now think about how scary it is for our children when we give them the message that we expect them to navigate their way through life without any help from us – when they don’t know where they are going, how to get there, or what they will do when they arrive. Saying that kids will learn to self-regulate their food or activities or behavior is like saying as soon as they can toddle, kids should be free to walk wherever they want and they will learn to cross streets safely on their own and get where they need to go. Is that responsible? Is that kind?

Many of us have avoided setting these guidelines for our children, because we are afraid. When we tell others that they are being controlling and coercive because they do set limits for their children, we are very often speaking from a place of deep internal fear and ambivalence. We don’t know how to lovingly discipline. We don’t know what to do when they are disobedient or disrespectful, we don’t know how to guide them. Instead of dealing with the root of the issue, instead of learning new parenting behaviors that will benefit us and our children, we deny the legitimacy of those needs. We say their needs are really about independence, and by denying them independence, we are causing them long term emotional harm since they won’t learn to manage their own emotions/behavior, etc. We frame our lack of action as a morally responsible thing to do and condemn those who act otherwise.

Take heart – every step you take in the right direction will make your parenting journey so much more pleasant. The next time your child refuses to do as you ask, runs around a public setting, or does something else that sets your teeth on edge – don’t feel you need to say it’s okay. See it as an opportunity to set new expectations for your family. You might feel mean and heartless if you are used to giving them whatever they want or ignoring things you don’t like. Think about your long term goals – if you don’t help your children learn to manage themselves, one day the outside world will, and that will be extremely painful.

Avivah

Today I made a meal for a new mom and had a chance to speak with her for a bit when we delivered it. She has been having a hard time since her baby was in the NICU for a week and an half, and they just came home a couple of days ago.

Being a new parent can be hard! During pregnancy, there is often a lot of excitement and anticipation, and very often, the challenges of being a parent to a new baby hit like a load of bricks. Crying babies, combined with a lack of sleep and the emotional pressure of feeling like you just don’t know what to do, leave moms feeling overwhelmed and stressed out. A bit of time and perspective can help a mom to recognize how very short this time in a child’s life is. It seems so all-consuming when you’re in the middle of it, but it is like a blip on the screen of life. Seeing how quickly babies grow up has helped me develop an attitude of ‘enjoy exactly the stage they are at now’. Colic, teething, non stop crying – it all passes. Along with the things you don’t miss are the things you will remember fondly –tiny bodies and wise newborn gazes, how totally dependent they were on you, how easy it was to express your love for them just by holding and feeding them frequently and regularly.

My baby just cut his first tooth – last week I was dealing with the exhaustion that comes with an infant waking up six times a night, crying and being hard to soothe for most of the day. In the middle of it all, I thought about what I am sharing with you, no matter how it feels in the moment (and it feels endless!), it all passes. And here I am, a week later, and he’s back to sleeping through most of the night, and is a pleasure during the day.

Someone told me years ago, “When my children were young, the days would drag on, but the years fly by.” When she told me that, I had four children under 5.5, and I couldn’t imagine time going quickly. Every day seemed to take sooo long, with everyone needing my help for everything; if I wasn’t changing a diaper, I was feeding or dressing someone, or reading a book to them, or keeping them entertained. But she was so right – now I often marvel how fast time goes. Every time I think about how fast the kids are growing up, I feel grateful that I am able to spend so much time being there with them and for them. I don’t have to wonder where all those years went, because I was there, and that is very precious to me.

Avivah

When my oldest son was five, I read a book by Faber and Mazlish with the above title that I was very taken with. I applied what they said, and like magic, my children started responding beautifully. But then it stopped working. That began one of the biggest parenting lessons I have learned. I finally began to see that it wasn’t what I was saying that made the difference, but how I said it. I initially felt confident and optimistic about using their techniques, and my kids were responding to that when I spoke. When I started doubting myself and was tired and tense, saying the same words didn’t get the same results. It doesn’t matter what words you use, but it very much matters your intent behind them. When I was feeling frustrated, it didn’t matter how I phrased it – my kids sensed my tension. And when I was upbeat and positive, I could say something that technically would be considered ‘wrong’ and my kids would be happy and responsive.

Many times when I have been asked how to handle various parenting situations, I am asked for what specific words to use. Lots of people have read the book above or others like them, and are afraid that if they don’t put the words together in just the right way, they will be doing something wrong. This attitude is very disempowering to parents, as it implies that the experts know what works and unless you study their work and duplicate their techniques, you won’t be successful. My standard response is that it’s what is behind your words that your children pick up on. You need to mean what you say, and say what you mean. If there is ambiguity, your children will respond to that. I can’t count how many times I have been in public settings and watched mothers attempt to discipline their children. “Get down, don’t touch, come here!” But it is clear to me even as a casual observer when a mother means what she says – if she means it, her kids know it and they will do what she says, because they sense that she will take the necessary action to be sure they comply if they don’t.

I was in the orthodontist’s office a couple of days ago with my oldest daughter, and atypically didn’t have any other children with me. I took advantage of the quiet time to read a business magazine in the waiting room. I came across an article by leadership guru John C. Maxwell, and he made a statement that validated what I have written above. He said: “I also learned that words, more often than not, don’t matter…..it’s what you believe and how you act on those beliefs that make people want to follow you.”

The principles of leadership as it applies in business are the same principles that apply to leadership in the home. We have inner beliefs that influence our outer actions, and that is what influences those around us. It’s not so much what we say, as who we are.

Avivah

I mentioned the topic of my last post to my mother, and she said, “I rocked all of my children to sleep and they never became dependent on it!” So to clarify my point, it wasn’t that rocking/nursing/whatever you do is wrong – it’s not, it’s wonderful!- just to be aware that always doing something can lead inadvertently to habits that can be hard to break.

Last night my oldest son somewhat jokingly looked at the baby I was holding during dinner and told me he’s getting spoiled by being held so frequently. I smiled at him and said, “You turned out okay!” My son didn’t mean this seriously, but I have frequently heard the idea that a baby becomes spoiled by too much holding. But babies have needs, like everyone else, and being held and loved is a true need. Babies in orphanages were shown to waste away and often die due to emotional neglect – they were physically cared for but didn’t get the emotional nurturing that is so crucial.

Holding a baby and being attentive to his needs isn’t spoiling, it’s responsible and loving parenting. Ditto with older children – it’s not too much time and attention that spoils a child, it’s the lack of proper discipline and boundaries. Too many parents in the name of being loving don’t provide their children with the boundaries that would make them more secure and balanced.

Holding a baby helps him feel secure and loved, and as a baby gets older, his need for holding so much of the time decreases. As he gets older, he wants to get down and explore the world around him, and wants you to be there when he needs you – not any different really, than young adults!

Avivah