Toddler thread

[Kouki]

Anyone have advice for leaving the park?

My daughter is admittedly spoiled in that I probably make too many sacrifices to accommodate her wishes. Little things like having to watch Cavs games on my phone because she needs the TV for Paw Patrol, lol, but cumulatively they add up and turn into spoiled manipulative kiddo. (Also 50:50 custody, and two dogs and a house doesn't help). She can also be selfish when it comes to sharing.

Since it's been getting warmer, I like to take her to parks, but leaving the park is always a nightmare.

This past Tuesday we went to a local park, screaming/crying fit trying to leave after being there for two hours. Eventually I gave in and gave her ten more minutes, then she was just fine leaving....until my completely dumb ass made a comment as I was buckling her in, "Thank you for being so cooperative on leaving the park"...then she freaked out again as if she didn't realize what getting in the car meant, lol.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Anyone have advice for leaving the park?

My daughter is admittedly spoiled in that I probably make too many sacrifices to accommodate her wishes. Little things like having to watch Cavs games on my phone because she needs the TV for Paw Patrol, lol, but cumulatively they add up and turn into spoiled manipulative kiddo. (Also 50:50 custody, and two dogs and a house doesn't help). She can also be selfish when it comes to sharing.

Since it's been getting warmer, I like to take her to parks, but leaving the park is always a nightmare.

This past Tuesday we went to a local park, screaming/crying fit trying to leave after being there for two hours. Eventually I gave in and gave her ten more minutes, then she was just fine leaving....until my completely dumb ass made a comment as I was buckling her in, "Thank you for being so cooperative on leaving the park"...then she freaked out again as if she didn't realize what getting in the car meant, lol.

It’s important to give in to her whenever she screams and cries. This teaches her that screaming and crying will get her what she wants.

 

[The Oi]

It’s important to give in to her whenever she screams and cries. This teaches her that screaming and crying will get her what she wants.

It’s good that girls learn that early. Don’t want them being pushovers.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Anyone have advice for leaving the park?

My daughter is admittedly spoiled in that I probably make too many sacrifices to accommodate her wishes. Little things like having to watch Cavs games on my phone because she needs the TV for Paw Patrol, lol, but cumulatively they add up and turn into spoiled manipulative kiddo. (Also 50:50 custody, and two dogs and a house doesn't help). She can also be selfish when it comes to sharing.

Since it's been getting warmer, I like to take her to parks, but leaving the park is always a nightmare.

This past Tuesday we went to a local park, screaming/crying fit trying to leave after being there for two hours. Eventually I gave in and gave her ten more minutes, then she was just fine leaving....until my completely dumb ass made a comment as I was buckling her in, "Thank you for being so cooperative on leaving the park"...then she freaked out again as if she didn't realize what getting in the car meant, lol.

I know you've probably been given this advice already, but my experience with kids and grandkids is that if you just continue on with what you need to do, essentially ignoring their tantrum, they actually adjust pretty quickly and learn they can't get their way.

My grandson went threw a period where he threw an absolute fit every time he needed his diaper changed. My wife and his mom would both respond with a very concerned "what's the matter?!?!", stop what they were doing, and try to comfort the tantrum.

But when it was just he and I together, I'd just give him mild "quit yer squawking" (basically to amuse myself) and go right on changing his diaper. 45 seconds or so later, it was over, the diaper was changed, and the tantrum stopped. And he quickly learned that Papa ignored tantrums so he quit throwing them with me. My stepdaughter eventually said to me at one point "why is he so good for you when you change his diaper", so I told them my "secret".

The way to think about it is that when you respond to the tantrum, you're actually just prolonging the period during which they are upset. So the best thing to do is just finish what you need to do as expeditiously as you can, and move on from the thing that made them throw the tantrum after you've completed what needed to be done.

Been down the single dad road myself, and I get it. But you'll be doing her a huge favor of you don't let her tantrums dictate what you do, and it'll actually make times with her better.

 

[KevinLoveFan]

I know you've probably been given this advice already, but my experience with kids and grandkids is that if you just continue on with what you need to do, essentially ignoring their tantrum, they actually adjust pretty quickly and learn they can't get their way.

My grandson went threw a period where he threw an absolute fit every time he needed his diaper changed. My wife and his mom would both respond with a very concerned "what's the matter?!?!", stop what they were doing, and try to comfort the tantrum.

But when it was just he and I together, I'd just give him mild "quit yer squawking" (basically to amuse myself) and go right on changing his diaper. 45 seconds or so later, it was over, the diaper was changed, and the tantrum stopped. And he quickly learned that Papa ignored tantrums so he quit throwing them with me. My stepdaughter eventually said to me at one point "why is he so good for you when you change his diaper", so I told them my "secret".

The way to think about it is that when you respond to the tantrum, you're actually just prolonging the period during which they are upset. So the best thing to do is just finish what you need to do as expeditiously as you can, and move on from the thing that made them throw the tantrum after you've completed what needed to be done.

Been down the single dad road myself, and I get it. But you'll be doing her a huge favor of you don't let her tantrums dictate what you do, and it'll actually make times with her better.

This is good advice and fits what I was taught when I assisted individuals with disabilities in their homes: ignore the negative, and/or redirect, if you can't immediately correct it.

It's also worked pretty well with the toddler. He still has his moments of course, because he's 2, but they usually don't last long, and he's a favorite at preschool for being a well-behaved boy there.

 

[Kouki]

Usually she's a little angel and has good behavior..leaving Chuck E Cheese or the trampoline park or friends' house etc is never a problem. Sometimes you just need a little extra trick up your sleeve, like when they are tired and hangry, that's what I'm looking for lol. I definitely try to ignore or make her laugh or distract, 9/10 times it works. I admit I need to work on my patience more in those extreme, inconsolable situations.

And yeah don't get me started on her mother... we are working on being more diligent about consistency from house to house, but...let's just say that we had very different upbringings and have different ideas. Like ya know, I don't think a good solution to toddler refusing to have her hair washed is to spray her in the face with water. Now she is traumatized to take a bath. "I know my baby, she will be fine, how dare you" is not a valid reason to leave her in a bathtub unattended..."She doesn't need to go to bed, it's still light out!"...etc etc.