My friend Rachel's comment about how toddler parenting is all about distraction (spawned by having to put a sparkler into her 2 year old's PB&J to distract him from an oncoming fit) got me thinking about the song and dance show I put on for Jackson from sun up to sun down just so I can avoid the dreaded hissy fit. Here's just one example.
Today I've been a parrot, a dog, a robot, Captain Jack Sparrow, and The Phantom of the Opera. And it's only three'o'clock. It's amazing how just changing my voice slightly can get the kid to do *just about* anything I want. (Disclaimer: There are some things that no matter how awesome a parrot voice you can imitate, your toddler simply isn't going to do.)
At lunch, all I had to do was sing in the Phantom voice, "The Phantom of the Opera wants Jackson to eat his lunch." And he did!
Granted, it gets really annoying (not to mention embarrassing) when we're in public and he wants me to be Wall-e the Robot before he'll stop flailing his arms and legs and get off the ground. It's also annoying when I get the voice wrong, and Wall-e ends up sounding like a parrot. Cause Jackson knows it's wrong, and that can add fuel to an already accelerating fit.
So parents of toddlers - what kinds of distractions have you added into your daily-survival-of-the-toddler-years routine?
3 comments:
I'll let you know when I get there but these are GREAT ideas! Phantom of the Opera! Wow. Gold medal for creativity!
This is hilarious. I'm dying to see a video of you as Captain Jack Sparrow. I have to say my distraction talents don't go as far as impressions, but maybe I'll give that a shot sometime. Mostly it's "look something shiny" or "look a tractor!" I wonder if God ever has to do the same with us.
I don't have a toddler, but I do have a puppy, no character voices yet, but tate is totally training me instead of me training him.... I guess I do one "voice". When he bites me, even if it doesn't hurt I "YELP" like a puppy and he thinks he hurt me and stop. (so embarassing) I really hope I don't start talking dog soon. I know my neighbors already think i'm nuts!
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