Throwing a second into the mix makes life a whole lot different
It is often said that kids will raise themselves when you have more than one, but I am here to dispute that, as in my house we need to have quite a number of skills to encourage harmony amongst the siblings. Here are a few of the skills you may need if you have more than one child and at least you can’t say you haven’t been warned. Parents; this is the court of parenting in session!
- Refereeing/Coaching- The kids are going to drag you into the “he did this” and “she did that” debate and you will need to try and be fair to each child. You will need to referee the kids and call time when their argument gets out of hand and use your coaching skills for when they refuse to co-operate and motivate them to behave well.
- Debating- It will come down to having to listen to two sides of the story and you will have to take all evidence into consideration. Only then will you be able to put across your points about their behaviour and be ready for a backlash of comments from your disgruntled kids!
- Analysing- Could your child really have hit his brother if he was on the other side of the room and could it be that the accuser just wants to get the accused in trouble as he stepped on his toy truck earlier?
- Telepathy and X ray vision- The evidence is building but you still question your beliefs and wouldn’t it be wonderful if you were blessed with telepathy or x ray vision so you could have seen through the walls? Instead the kids are screeching at you for not believing them and you are considering walking out!
- Lie detector- Having one of these at home would probably sort a lot of disagreements before they even started if the kids no they would be tested for their honesty. Ok so it might not be 100% accurate but the kiddies don’t need to know that do they? This is parent law after all!
- Patience- You will have to accept that your kiddies are going to lie and right now one of them is lying so it will test your patience. Standing before them you may demand their honesty yet still get none, and this is when the next step comes in…
- Calmness- This isn’t the time to lose the head, the kids are still arguing and you are wondering why you didn’t just separate them this morning rather than leaving them to do the ironing! Whoever said the kids would raise themselves after you had one obviously had some sort of super well behaved kids or they were mistaken end off!
Or maybe it is only my kids that argue all day long?!
Written by Emma, staff writer with www.familyfriendlyhq.ie and Irish mummy blogger. Check out her own blog at emmasmadjotters.com
