Or is it?

I am in the stage of life where I get to experience my children making adult decisions, along with seeing from the eyes of a grandparent.

Having a two-year-old grandchild brings back the foundation of parenting, truly a pivotal time in the shaping of your child.

My grandson and I were playing follow the leader. However, I was pulling a helicopter as he was pushing his ride-on airplane.

At the moment, hitting the helicopter was really fun. It would get knocked on its side and crash. He would giggle every time he did it. Like with everything, there is a time and place.

I am one who believes to use toys or things for what they were designed to be used for. The helicopter was not part of the WWE. But that’s how he was treating it.

Unfortunately for him, the helicopter was hit one too many times. Grandma made the tough decision and took it away.

He looked at me in shock as if he didn’t think I would follow through. But that was the ONE thing I was determined to do; follow through.

Kids want what they want when they want it. But they need us, parents, to show them how to get it.

Taking action in a way that is harmful or hurtful to how the thing (the toy in this situation) is to be used must be addressed quickly.

Your child learns by repetition. If you keep allowing them to do what they want when they want to, what is that teaching them?

That they get what they want when they want it.

But that’s not how the real world works. And the real teachings start in the beginning at a young age.

So you’ve gotta train up early to teach real-life concepts.

The K.I.S.S. ~ Train up early to teach real-life concepts!

Some parents would say that it’s not a big deal how your grandson plays with the helicopter and airplane.

On the contrary, what he does with something as simple as the toys will be rationalized as he gets older.

If there are no consequences to how to treat something (or someone), how else will your child learn?

Train up early to teach real-life concepts.

1. Build values by encouraging good and respectful, repetitive actions. – Take hitting for an example. Should you allow your child to hit for fun? NO!! The only way this is good is if you are doing it in an environment that is repeated and understood that it only happens at this time. But as you know, that is age specific. Toddlers should not be hitting for fun. It’s not funny or cute. Because what happens when they go to Kindergarten? That hitting you thought was so cute and adorable becomes a push and a shove on the playground.
2. Build character by modeling it every day. – What your child sees, your child will do. My son-in-love was walking around the house talking on the phone. It didn’t take but a few seconds for my grandson to join in on the march around the room and talking on his phone. The greatest teacher in your child’s life is your actions. They are watching everything you do. So if you want to build character, then you must model it.
3. Build respect through how you treat others. – I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there isn’t a lot of respect nowadays. In fact, there are more demands for what they want. No one wants to wait, and people are impatient. If you want that to change in this world, then you have to show it to your child. You have to be a model of respect. Don’t lose your cool. Stay grounded to who you want your child to live like when they get older.

In all that you do, train up your child with your consistency. What you show over and over again will be repeated in the long run. If you want your child to learn how to treat a man or a woman, you have to treat them the way you want your child to act.

Respect needs to be brought back into the equation of child-rearing.

PRAYER: May God bless you with an abundance of patience and open your heart to loving unconditionally. You will not get everything right, so always pray for your child.

You are doing a great job. Hang in there. A new season is around the corner!

“Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!“