Good Enough Parenting Tricks

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Forum -> Chinuch, Education & Schooling

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keym

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:20 pm

This is a spinoff from the eating in the car threads.
There is so much pressure to be supermommy in our world.
What are your "good enough" tricks. You know the ones where the naturalists and perfection people are horrified but it works for you.
Ill start.
My kids often drink chocolate milk as a way to get dairy.
We usually do rye bread not whole wheat because no one will touch it.
Their fingernails get cut at least every other week but their toe nails can go much longer than that.
Your turn.
Remember this is good enough parenting. No criticizing behaviors that arent dangerous.

mha3484

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:22 pm

I make no effort to wake up at 3am when my 3 year finds his way to my bed. I need to sleep too. I figure he will out grow it eventually.

timana

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:25 pm

My kids (3 & 2) hate showering so I just shower them once a week erev Shabbat.

zoom

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:29 pm

I often "forget" to remind my daughter, just turned 6, to do her teeth at night. (and in the morning!) its just too much pressure in the whole bedtime routine...

amother

Burlywood

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:33 pm

Parenting is all about connection and empathy. Forget the rest.

amother

Azure

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:41 pm

Thanks for the validation!

Shower twice. Week when we cope in the winter.

Tooth brushing when it’s not past bedtime.

Take clean laundry from basket.

Remind once to do homework and then it’s their problem.

flowerpower

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 4:41 pm

My three year old eats cheerios and milk for supper every single night. It's whole grains and calcium. Right?

My one year old still sleeps on my bed aka we both get to sleep at night. Her brother joins the sleepover some point between 2-4 am.

Last edited by flowerpower on Mon, Apr 30 2018, 10:25 pm; edited 1 time in total

seeker

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 5:24 pm

amother wrote:

Parenting is all about connection and empathy. Forget the rest.

"Good enough" parenting would be where you sometimes connect through aggravation, and provide empathy on occasion Twisted Evil

Mommyg8

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 5:29 pm

I love this thread!

I use a lot of bribery - money, nosh, prizes - whatever works.

And when I wash their linen I don't put it back on the beds myself - all kids over nine do it themselves, and the younger ones have blankets without quilt covers so it's just a second to put back on....

And I don't fold underwear. They can take it from the basket...

Oh, and the most important one - I buy pizza every now and then...

Is that enough?

seeker

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 5:33 pm

I don't understand - having your kids put their linens back on or leave to yeshiva independently is not "good enough" parenting, it's superstar parenting! You won at raising independent kids! When I roll over in bed on Shabbos mornings and mumble instructions for my kids to take their own breakfast, I pat myself on the back, not guilt myself for "good enough" parenting. So proud Smile

flowerpower

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 6:12 pm

seeker wrote:

Totally! Independence is the first thing I teach the kids. Sometimes they even take it to the next level. My 3 year old prepared himself chocolate milk the other day🙀

keym

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 6:18 pm

flowerpower wrote:

Totally! Independence is the first thing I teach the kids. Sometimes they even take it to the next level. My 3 year old prepared himself chocolate milk the other day🙀

Chocolate milk!!! My type of parenting.

amother

Lilac

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 6:22 pm

My mother used to dress my little brothers in their school clothes as their PJs. This way she didn't have to dress them

amother

Mint

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 6:23 pm

Am I the only one who allows too much screen time? Or is that so bad it's not good enough to qualify as "good enough"? embarrassed

amother

Silver

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 6:27 pm

Instead of a bed time story, I buy them each an mp3 with either Rabbi Burstyn stories, or Rabbi mordechai Finkelman stories (each story is 45 minutes and each Rabbi has hundreds of stories. You do the math.)

Then I let them listen until they fall asleep. This works for all ages, as the stories are from torah or the tenach and the added bonus is that my kids know more than all their friends. The teachers are amazed at their "knowledge" when I had no hand in it whatsoever. Except for ordering them from the Torah Tapes Library, 718-438-3904.

That's my secret and I'm sticking to it... (thousands of hours of stories!)

No ipods, no iPhone, no new age virtual reality games.. Nothing.

seeker

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 6:33 pm

amother wrote:

Am I the only one who allows too much screen time? Or is that so bad it's not good enough to qualify as "good enough"? embarrassed

Depending how much you're calling "too much," what type of content they're consuming, and what role it plays in your survival, it could be "good enough."

bsy

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 9:23 pm

amother wrote:

This was my family. Except in those days it was tapes. We listened to rabbi burstyn every night. My teacher was mad that in 1st grade I knew the parsha before she taught it....she complained to my mother to stop teaching me. My mother answered that the teacher is welcome to come put the kids to sleep every night if she wants.... Very Happy

bsy

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 9:24 pm

I often feed the baby supper in the bath. Saves time and mess.

cozyblanket

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 9:40 pm

amother wrote:

My mother used to dress my little brothers in their school clothes as their PJs. This way she didn't have to dress them

Exactly. We don't use pjs until about 3 years old. Until then, they get a clean outfit to sleep in at night. Then, as long as they don't leak through their night diaper, all they need is a diaper change, shoes and socks!

Moonlight

Mon, Apr 30 2018, 10:37 pm

I do a lot of bribing . Clean up a toy, you get a candy. Do an eruv Shabbos job, you get a candy. Get in pj's by 730, you get a 15 min video before bedtime. Sticker charts get you better prizes.

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