Parenting Tips With A Little Touch Of Magic

Every parent will face a time when parenting is a challenge. You may have a long wait at a restaurant, a long car or plane ride, or maybe an extra long wait at the doctor’s office. You can recognize the signs of an impending tantrum and when you do it is time to dig into a supply of items and ideas to keep your child busy, entertained, and reduce the chances of a blow out. This idea is especially helpful if you have a special needs child. You will want to have items you can use to distract your child or take their mind off the immediate problem. A special needs child are normally less able to amuse themselves during a long wait and a parent needs to be quick and creative in finding something that will distract and amuse their child. A little planning will help you when that time comes.

One expert recommends the ABCD’s for distracting children. Amuse, Bribe, Comfort, and Distract. You should be able to pull something out of your little bag of tricks quickly to avoid a meltdown or ease a stressful situation. Having resources available will allow you a quicker reaction time and possibly a scene in a public place.

One recommendation is to keep a small bag filled with items that you will keep in your pocket or purse for emergency situations. The idea is to think small. You need items you can easily carry and have on hand always. You may want to fill a small bag or your purse with some suitable snack items for the age of your child. Dry cereal, raisins, animal crackers, and hard candy are all great to carry with you. You know which ones are right for your child.

One simple item you can carry that will keep your child amused is a pencil and small notebook. You can personalize the notebook by putting their name on it and having it handy during stressful times or long waits. Every child I know loves to write with a pen and a notepad or piece of paper! Colored pencils are great to carry, not as messy as crayons but they still give bright colors. These will help your child with their stress levels and, by the way, help yours too!

If you are caught unaware or find yourself in a traffic jam with no little bag of goodies, try letting your child look at your photos. Nearly every parent will carry a set of photos with them and pictures of themselves and other members of their family fascinate most children. What to do if you exhaust the photo option? If the child is older, let them count your coins, help them group them into categories, and teach them a little about money while you are amusing them.

Other items you can carry with you that are small and effective distractions are toy cars; puzzle books, stickers, flash cards, and a doll or favorite toy. Small items to distract and amuse may be a great help in keeping your child under control while waiting for long periods of times.

Recommended Reading

1. Great Ideas For Amusing Your Child
All parents have been left wondering what to do with a tired child during a long car ride, slow dinner...
2. Parenting A Toddler
Parenting a toddler can bring special challenges. Toddlers are wonderful little beings that are just beginning to discover the world...
3. Tips For Parenting
It's a problem that many parents are afraid of; inevitably, at some point in your child's life, they will be...
4. Parenting Skills Are Important Even After Your Child Leaves Home
Some of us have already experience the empty nest syndrome. We spend years teaching our children to be independent and...
5. Coping With The Stress Of Parenting
If you have raised or are raising children you are already aware of the stress parenting places on you as...