Any parent knows that the moment a child sees water there will be instantaneous deafness. It doesn\u2019t matter whether it\u2019s an ocean, lake, river, stream or mud puddle. Even a Dixie cup full of water is a child magnet…because children cannot hear parents when they see water.<\/p>\n
Suddenly, the brain sends a signal that bypasses the ears and goes straight to the child\u2019s legs and tells the child to jump, dive, stomp or splash in the water. Not until the child is soaking wet and shivering do parents\u2019 voices register.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you do that for? I told you we were NOT getting wet today!\u201d<\/p>\n
Come on, parents. Did you ever get near water yourself as a child and NOT get wet?<\/p>\n
The minute the car stops so the family can take a look at the water, all bets are off. Somebody is going to get wet and it\u2019s going to be a total soak. In fact, the amount of soaking will be directly related to the lack of towels and dry clothes on hand, meaning the less prepared you are the more soaked your child will be.<\/p>\n
Unless the water is in a sink filled with dirty dishes, your kids will not be able to resist its magnetic pull.<\/p>\n
Another great distraction is the television. The third parent has far more command over children than do mom and dad. Television ON = child\u2019s hearing OFF.<\/p>\n
\u201cJunior, how was your day?\u201d<\/p>\n
No response.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you enjoy the lunch I made you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Still no response.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour father and I decided to buy you a pony….\u201d<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter. It could be the news and even a three-year old will stop, pivot toward the tube and the eyes will glaze over, the jaw will go slack and there\u2019s no getting through to him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got ice cream!\u201d you sing. Who cares? No child can resist television. You\u2019d do better if you made a commercial. \u201cWe interrupt this broadcast so Timmy\u2019s dad can say, \u201cTim, it\u2019s time for bed. Now.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
And try talking to a child delving into a sack of candy. A child cannot see, grab and stuff candy in his mouth AND hear at the same time. It\u2019s biologically impossible. Cookies, pizza and soda have the same effect.<\/p>\n
Children mean well, but there are certain things a parent must avoid in order to keep a child\u2019s attention. So put away the candy, turn off the television and drive to the middle of the desert where you can use these things to negotiate with your child (some call it bribery). They\u2019ll be putty in your hands as long as you can stand the whining\u2014something that tends to make parents deaf.
\n. . . . . . . . . . .
\nJelly Mom\u2122 is written by Lisa Barker, mother of five and author of “Just Because Your Kids Drive You Insane… Doesn’t Mean You Are A Bad Parent!” and is syndicated through Parent To Parent\u2122. To publish Jelly Mom\u2122, buy the book or leave comments, please visit http:\/\/www.jellymom.com. Sign up for the complimentary Jelly Mom\u2122 weekly newsletter and receive a BONUS GIFT!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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