Sunday Sound Out

From Chicago where it snows over spring break, it's your host, the woman who likes her eggs salmonella-free, Dawn Damalas Meehan! And now, here are the answers to this week's questions.

Have you thought to ask the older kids to get jobs to help support the family? In times past, that's what kids did.

I've already put all six of them to work in a sweat shop.

Please tell me that you put up your smoke dectetor. :) My firewife inside of me is cringing when I think about it.

You have a firewife inside of you? I have a woman who likes to eat cookies inside of me. I wish I could get her out. And of course I put the smoke detector back! That's why I wrote the post reminding everyone to change their batteries.

I wanted to ask you about your children. I have three and one is in a stage where he is so stubborn! Not sure if you have/had one like that? My son is 4 will be 5 in June. He wants everything to go his way and if he doesn't get his way he does nothing. Older brother was not like this. Also if he does not get his own way then he tells me I hate him and don't love him. Sorry this probably is not blog material but I think you are an awesome person and wanted to see if you had gone through anything like this. Thanks for any advice!

If being a mom of six children has taught me one thing, it's that all kids are different! What works for one will not necessarily work for another. Austin was a stubborn child who is much more laid back now. Brooklyn is my stubborn one now. My best advice (which I admit is easy in theory, but much harder to put into practice in real life), is to say what you mean and mean what you say, be consistent, and keep emotion out of it.

Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say - When your child is lying on the floor of the toy store, crying for a toy, don't say something like, "If you don't get up, I'm never taking you out in public again!" It will obviously be impossible to stick to that threat. I know; I've tried. Instead, say something like, "I hope, one day, you have a child who acts just like you!"

Be Consistent - If you give in to your child and buy them that toy, then you should expect another all-out tantrum the next time you go to the store and tell them no. All bets are off when it's your sixth child and you no longer care about consistency; you only care about quiet.

Keep Emotion out of It. You're the adult. When your child screams, "I hate you!", or "You hate me!" when you don't give in to their demands, they're trying to get a reaction from you. If you scream back how ungrateful they are and how you don't have money for the toy and how you would never have been that disrespectful to your parents when you were that age, blah, blah, blah, what message are you sending them? If instead, you say calmly, "I'm sorry you feel that way", while removing them (kicking and screaming, if need be) from the store, you're sending the message that their tantrums aren't going to move you to give in. You're the adult and you're in charge. What you say goes and if they don't like it, well, sucks to be you.

Be loving and consistent and they'll get past this stage, I promise. They might always be strong-willed, but as long as they learn how to handle it when they don't get their way, they'll be fine. If not, they'll be that guy who gets mad and staples his boss to the bulletin board by his necktie.

Omg, that was you [who posted the Pokemon auction on eBay]?? I used to hang out on the Ebay discussion boards and I remember that auction being posted and watched. I didn't know what a blog was back then. Once I started reading blogs and found yours I just kept reading because I thought you were funny. I had no idea until just now that you were the Pokemon lady!

Yes!!! When I was a little girl, I dreamed of being known as the Pokemon Lady!

Are all those kids yours?

Yep and I have seven more at home.

Your ex was/is really a piece of work!

He is a piece of work, but he was a decent dad (a lousy husband, but a good dad). I think that makes it so much worse on my kids. He did a 180 degree change when we got divorced.

Question for you Dawn :) If you get paid per impression over at Babble does that me if I read it on one computer, then comment from another computer and then update the comments for yet another one each of those would count as a separate impression?? We have 5 computers here at home, and 4 at my office....lol

LOL! I'm not sure, but I think it would count on all five computers.

I'm headed back to Chicago soon with the almost 4 & 6yo kids...any must-sees downtown at the moment?

The Field Museum, The Museum of Science and Industry, Adler Planetarium, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, Buckingham Fountain, Sears Tower, and Millennium Park are staples. I'm pretty sure the first four all offer free days where you can visit for no charge. If you want to visit a bunch of those places, a good way to see the sights is by getting a CityPass.

The winner of the Suave giveaway is -

Kim said...

I have no idea what my favorite is. It's usually whatever is in the shower that still has enough shampoo in it. Not one of the bottles that have been dumped and refilled with with cold water. Definitely not the bottle that's a combination created by son of all liquid found in the shower, including the dog shampoo.
Life as a single mom is a rat race, so I use whatever I find available at the moment. :)

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