1-2-3 Magic!

Recently the wife and I attended church. Calm down calm down, we aren't converting. We were attending a parenting workshop called "1, 2, 3 Magic!" The workshop was being held at Kippax community church.

What it amounted to was a three hour video from a PHD Psychotherapist about controlling children's behaviour. While that may not seem worth $10 a head, the three hours free child care that came with it certainly was.

1, 2, 3, Magic is basically a child behaviour control technique. A process to follow when the kid acts up or misbehaves. It is designed in such a way as to get them to comply with your demands before the punishment is doled out. It takes a certain idea of what is right and wrong to apply the method going in, but if you follow the procedure all will be goodness and light.

This method would benefit people who:

• Haven't done squat about discipline in the past.


• Have no consistency in their approach.


• Are at their wits end.


• Don't have a child with a more serious problem.

It basically harnesses the simple concept of having a discipline regimen and applying it consistently and fairly. That's it. By adding a specific structure they created a saleable product based on something every parent should bloody well know in the first place.

The presentation includes a lot of details around the logic behind a kids behaviour, what they will and will not respond to and how to better view your role as a parent. I would recommend one checking it out but only as a single peice in your repertoire of No-Good-Sneaky-Manipulative-Mum-N-Dad-Tricks(tm).

I'll also note that if your child has a real behavioural malfunction beyond being a spoilt little shit then this will only make things far worse.

And finally, the most important ingredient is left out of 1-2-3 Magic!

LOVE!!

If the kid only ever gets interaction from you in the shape of stoney discipline then they will have no reason to respect you. Even if you are being fair. Give them love and they will listen. Not even solely as a reward but for it's own sake and as often as you can. I've been giving Fuzzy Wuzzy random cuddles, kisses and affectionate epithets for months and he has started to do what I say when I say it. Because he craves the approval of those that love him.

Wouldn't you?

Potty A Go Go

Fuzzy Wuzzy is now fully potty trained. We still fit him with a nappy at night and if we have to travel for more than an hour. As far as skills go though, he goes when he has to and even dresses himself now all he has to deal with is undies. Thank you to Nan for sending the Thomas the Tank Engine branded undies. They were the extra push he needed.

I feel as though a great wait has been lifted from my Shoulders. He can do no wrong. Well, not for at least a week.

Proud Potty

Fuzzy Wuzzy did his first deposit into the toilet last night. He heaved and heaved and mouthed words he could not speak because of all the heaving. Then the inevitable -plop- sounded and he went nuts with excitement. We have spent the last week building him up to this event you see.

For a parent, it is a great time of celebration with praise and chocolate heaped upon the executor of the task.

Like all great moments in a child's development, this one did not pass without a certain witticism from Fuzzy Wuzzy.

"It looks like a sausage!" he exclaimed. Loudly and proudly I might add.

Do I have a feacalphiliac on my hands? Time will tell.