Editor’s note: Enjoy this humorous guest blog post by NYC Dads Group member, Adam Gertsacov, as he shares how an emergency lollipop is his secret answer to his son’s temper tantrums, crying bouts, and discipline problems. – L.S.
THE EMERGENCY LOLLY
I have one in my bag. I have one in my jacket pocket. I have one in the stroller. I have a couple in my car. I have some in the pantry. I get a couple everytime I go to the bank. I don’t have a belfry, but if I did, I’d probably stash a couple there.
I’m not talking about bats, or phone chargers, or $20 dollar bills. I’m talking about Emergency Lollipops.
My 3 1/2 year old son has a giant sweet tooth and an inordinate stubborn streak. He often refuses to eat, claiming that he isn’t hungry. He then throws a fit about things that have little consequence. But the real reason he’s throwing the fit is because he’s hungry, but doesn’t want to eat or acknowledge that he’s hungry.
Does this sound familiar?
I have found that I can often head off his emotional depth charges by judicious application of the Emergency Lolly. If he’s crying or yelling, I can usually get him to turn it around by “turning on the siren”, bringing out the lollipop, and making a little joke as I hand it to him. He’s tickled by the idea of an Emergency Lolly– that it’s coming to the rescue, his rescue.
I offer him his food first, of course. But he often won’t take it. The good news is he often doesn’t want the whole thing. He’ll have it for a little while, and then get tired of it (he hasn’t figured out how to bite into it yet, for which I am thankful.) And then after that, he’ll take a drink, and then sometimes even eat the granola bar or strawberries that I’ve brought for him.
Back when he was a baby and was entirely consumed by the need for binky, I had the same policy with binkies. I stashed them everywhere. They were like Tim Horton’s in Canada– I tried to put one at every intersection.
So what emergency provisions do you have stashed ? Please post about them in the comments!
Adam Gertsacov is an actor, clown, director, and fulltime dad. He wears a lot of hats, including those of a flea circus impresario, a PT Barnum impersonator, the director of Providence Rhode Island’s New Year’s Eve Celebration, a published author, and the esteemed hat of the Clown Laureate of Greenbelt Maryland. He blogs at http://www.dadapalooza.com , http://www.clownlink.com , and now with the NYC Dads Group. He and his wife are currently working on another cool project, the Digital Family Summit, a first-of-its-kind annual conference where teens, tweens and their parents connect to grow their blogs, video and other social media efforts. Find out more athttp://www.digitalfamilysummit.com.
I read “Happiest Toddler on the Block” by Harvey Karp. For me it works.. maybe 1/3 of the time, but I still think the book makes good points! The other 2/3 is patience, a thick skin and a general disregard for the public. I just don’t want my son to think a tantrum is a weapon in his his arsenal to get what he wants.
I don’t know if this is going to do any good long term. But I marvel at the way he pushes Grandma around with whiny tactics that he doesn’t even bother trying with me! I do know that his negotiation skills are improving and that he can’t stand my “self-regulate” speech.