Sunday, January 20, 2008

Pick Your Battles

I know they say that picking your battles is the best strategy where it pertains to the Toddler Battle of the Wills. Running for the street? Sorta non-negotiable no-no. Wear the "digger shirt" for how many days in a row? Well, not as big a deal, I suppose...

It gets more complicated as the temperature drops, however. Daniel flat-out refuses to wear boots. Snow and slush are making life interesting at the moment. Mittens - nope. Hat, once in a great while. I cheat and get a sweatshirt with a hood on him occasionally. Turn my back and I sometimes find him trying to get the coat off as well. It doesn't seem to matter what the temperature is. And indoors, all foot-gear must be off, even if the bare toes are little ice cubes... Any ideas? This kid may not see the light of day until Spring!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Did my boys move into your house while I had my back turned!? Both my boys are barefooters - but then, it took my 6 year old weeks into summer last year before he'd go outside without shoes.. go figure and we won't even discuss the adjustment from long-sleeved to short.

Like you said.. somethings just aren't negotiable.. If it's *really* cold out, com'on it's 20 degrees, we haven't seen the sun in .. wait.. what's sun again? tell him no way, he has to agree to wear xyz.. And, if it's only kind of cold, tell him that too.. it's 30 & sunny.. if you don't want gloves, fine, no hat, ok too, you don't even have to wear a coat, but you have to pile on 5 sweatshirts instead - oh wait.. don't do that.. that's just more laundry - which of course, would probably inspire another post, right?..

yeah, I know.. this is bull advice, I know just how well it works only sometimes when I try it.. but it does get a little easier as they get older and more reasonable (er.. I mean, able to reason things more) and at that point you can say "See how all the negotiating I did over time has finally started paying off".. then they hit pre-puberty.