I thought parenting would be easier. I mean, I knew it would be hard, but I didn’t know how hard. I thought things were cut and dry. I thought timeouts were as simple as putting the kid on a chair and setting a timer. I thought if I fed my kids fruits and veggies from the start they would eat healthy. And I thought I’d make my kids say “please” and “thank you.” Continue reading “Why I Don’t Make My Toddler Say “Please””
“Just Be Happy, Mommy!”
“Be happy!”
My toddler screamed it at me as he chased me down the hallway. I don’t remember why I was frustrated. He’d been testing his limits. He’d been refusing timeouts. He’d been getting into things I’d never had to worry about before. His three month old brother cried in my arms. I didn’t blame him for the outbursts, but I didn’t know how to make things better. Continue reading ““Just Be Happy, Mommy!””