Toddler Tricks - 24

Ways to Trick your Baby:

Problem: Your kids throw a fit over whatever outift you pick out for them in the morning.  They will resist you, whine, cry, and run away.  If you have twins, they'll most often want whatever the other one has while simultaneously clinging to their own outfit.  But they can't wear two outfits.  Their demands are illogical.  You simply cannot wear two shirts, three socks and no pants.  How do you start the day right?

Solution:  Give them choices, but not too many choices.  This should be easier with a singleton because you won't have to deal with outfit envy as you're only dressing on child.  Give them two pairs of pants to choose from, two shirts, two socks, that's it.  Yesterday, in fact, the outfits I picked out were insufficient on their own.  In order to truly shine, one twin had to wear the pants of one, and the other the shirt.

Ways your Baby Can Trick You:

Problem:  No matter what choices you give your kids, it's not good enough.  They demand to go into their closet and ruin it while picking out three shirts and a hat.  Then they demand you find a way to help them wear all three shirts and the hat...on their arm.  Then they're mad at you because you won't let them go outside without pants.  It's an interesting world we live in here.

Solution:  Don't do it.  If they refuse to accept their clothing choices, it's time for a little tough love.  Because giving in to them here will only cause crazy mornings and forever unsatisfied babies.  They just don't know what they want.  So, what I do is compromise, like I did above, mixing and matching, so that no one twin feels like they got the short end of the stick.  If they're still upset, I repeat to them over and over how they'll have something different tomorrow.  If they mention a specific piece of clothing, I do not give it to them that morning (I've found they'll only change their minds).  I tell them I will pick it out for them to wear tomorrow.  This usually gets us out of the bedroom in a fairly good mood with no one feeling particularly slighted.



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