Ingenious child wrangling tips

[MamaNotes]

Originally Posted by BNC We have an alarm clock in their room, and they are allowed to come out of their room before it goes off, ONLY to go potty, then they have to go back to their room. They may play in their room until the alarm goes off. It buys me an extra 30 to 40 mins in the morning usually.

I need to do this. Or figure out something for my 3.5 year old who wants to wake up at 6:30am. Too early!

[marenmccoy]

My husband grew up with a game called Dead Bird, where all the kids have to lie on the ground and be as still and silent as possible, move or talk and you're out. Last one wins. Bought a lot of quite time for the grown-ups, despite its creepy title.

[Fither]

My favorite tip that I heard once is when mom has to use a public restroom, pull your toddlers pants to their ankles so they can't bolt away from you while you're mid-stream.

[BeccaSueCongdon]

Originally Posted by Fither My favorite tip that I heard once is when mom has to use a public restroom, pull your toddlers pants to their ankles so they can't bolt away from you while you're mid-stream.

Oh dear!!!

Both of my kids would end up crawling nakey on the floor if I did that.

[chello]

Originally Posted by marenmccoy My husband grew up with a game called Dead Bird, where all the kids have to lie on the ground and be as still and silent as possible, move or talk and you're out. Last one wins. Bought a lot of quite time for the grown-ups, despite its creepy title.

We had something similar, we called it Still Waters. When played as a game there would be times when it would be Rapid Waters, when you could move and reposition or whatever, before the next Still round. But it was also used as a discipline tool, like if we were bugging each other in the car or something, mom would say Still Waters until we got where we were going. It was half game, half code for time out

[ashley84]

DS isn't allowed to get up until the sun does. He takes this rule very seriously. Blasted time change - he was sleeping in really well before that happened!

[Geckmumto3]

Originally Posted by Fither My favorite tip that I heard once is when mom has to use a public restroom, pull your toddlers pants to their ankles so they can't bolt away from you while you're mid-stream.

Why do I have images of toddlers slithering like snakes along public bathroom floors, bound at their ankles, while mothers try desperately to have a pee?

Originally Posted by marenmccoy My husband grew up with a game called Dead Bird, where all the kids have to lie on the ground and be as still and silent as possible, move or talk and you're out. Last one wins. Bought a lot of quite time for the grown-ups, despite its creepy title.

My children have been playing a game called "King of Silence," which was taught to them by the grade fives who monitor the primary lunch rooms. VEry similar. We are very poor at this game, though. We will say, "Let's play King of Silence... Three, two, one.. GO...." And within moments, DD says, "Ok, so the rules are.... Ok, I am pausing the game... OK, Um...." We do it now to get a laugh and try to break her record. So far she has NEVER cracked a full minute of silence.

Originally Posted by BNC We have an alarm clock in their room, and they are allowed to come out of their room before it goes off, ONLY to go potty, then they have to go back to their room. They may play in their room until the alarm goes off. It buys me an extra 30 to 40 mins in the morning usually.

When my DD was tiny and early rising, we taped the numbers on the wall over her clock. The numbers on the clock had to match what we taped on the wall before she could come out of her room (except to go to the bathroom, of course).