Today I slipped into traditional parent mode for a minute and the results were very interesting. We're in Cumbria and due to the snow we couldn't do any walking with the little ones or much driving to the various attractions. So the next best thing was a boat ride up and down the lake. A bit cold but lovely, Mr Toddler entertained himself with a bucket (...) when he got bored of looking at the snow. When it was time to get off the boat Mr Toddler got a bit upset as there was a lot of slippery ice on deck and asked for his special blanket, this was in my bag and I couldn't reach it as I also had Mr Baby in a carrier. So by the time we got off the boat and reached the boathouse he was a little desperate, we got the blanket out and he started dragging it across the very dirty floor. I was tired and struggling to get the two little ones back to the car through the slippery path so started telling him to pick the blanket up, to hold it properly. Nothing. The blanket is still being dragged across the snow, I try to pick it up for him. Screams ensue: "It's my blanket!!!!!" and unthinkingly I keep saying: "Come on, pick the blanket up!" to no avail.
Finally the penny drops. I've been encouraging him to make his own decisions and to understand consequences for himself, so finally I say: "Look, your blanket is getting very wet and dirty as it's touching the ground". Like magic the blanket is instantly lifted from the floor, so the key is not telling him what to do but to point something out, to explain a consequence (if you snatch the toy from Mr Baby he will be sad and cry) so he can make the right choice himself, and I have to say that he pretty much always makes a positive one.
Thank you to Martin Zalesny for this beautiful photo of the Lake District in the snow.
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