The repetitious nature of boundary-setting in the early years is a bit like washing your hair, “Lather, rinse, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat…” Knowing that and accepting it makes the seemingly endless repetitions, reminders, and redirections a bit easier to handle. As your little one becomes mobile, you will find that setting boundaries is an ongoing, moment-by-moment interaction with your child. •When your little explorer decides that the power outlets must be plumbed for their secrets, you will need to redirect their attention, often again and again, and take safety measures such as installing outlet covers. •When your intrepid climber challenges the laws of gravity by scaling furniture, counters, stairs, and anything and everything else that cries out to be conquered, you will need to remove, remind, and redirect them again and again along with using baby gates and other measures to ensure their safety. •When your curious little scientist investigates the contents of your kitchen cabinets looking for ingredients to gleefully mix and mash, you will need to rescue your ‘ingredients’ and your child, offer alternative, safer ingredients to investigate, and install some cabinet locks. The thing to remember is that parenting isn’t about fixing a problem. It’s about growing a person, and people have their own thoughts and opinions and ideas and plans, even when they are tiny people. Working with our children instead of against them creates a cooperative, teamwork dynamic as opposed to an adversarial, us-against-them atmosphere ripe for conflict. Childhood should be a safe and lovely place to grow and explore and imagine, a place filled with possibilities, a place where it’s okay to hope and dream and try and fail and try again...kind of like a castle in the air. amzn/0988995832 Thankyou Little Hearts (Gentle Parenting Resources) for much needed reminders at just the right time!
Posted on: Wed, 06 Nov 2013 09:58:33 +0000
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