the Unexpected

Often we get into a rut with kids.  Routines are great for kids AND parents but there are times where there’s just a stalemate.  And that’s okay.

It does not need to turn into a power struggle.

I always tell the parents who take my classes that doing the unexpected can often change the dynamic in a situation.  Here’s the perfect example:

One day Matt went upstairs to give the girls a bath.  I looked up the back staircase and saw 3 naked heineys (heinies?) and heard squeals of laughter.  (None of them were Matt, btw.)  No one was in the bathtub, let alone the bathroom.  I heard Matt ask everyone to go towards the bathroom.

More squeals.  More running away from the bathroom.

All of a sudden Matt began doing somersaults down the hallway.

Silence.

They stopped.  They stared.

They watched in shock and amazement (and maybe a little curious horror?) at their father tumbling down the hall.  Instantly, like he was the Pied Piper, they followed him down the hall and promptly went into the bathroom.

Doing the unexpected works and it works well.  It takes the kids by surprise and makes them evaluate the situation from a different perspective – one they weren’t expecting.  It also makes their brain shift focus.  While they’re figuring out what it is you are doing or saying, their brain loses focus on what it was stuck on before.  In this case, it was not listening to get to the bathroom.

It’s the end of the school year and we’re in this weird phase in our house.  The girls are outside more but they haven’t quite built up their endurance to being outside more.  They’re basically running out of stamina and exhausted before bedtime but then too tired to sleep.  (I equate it to training for a race and they’re still in training.)  There’s been lots of popping out of bed at night, too.

Last night I was at a meeting and when I got home the kids were all awake.  I went into their rooms and asked each girl to pick out what they were going to wear to school the next day.  Once they picked out their clothes, I told them to change into them.

They looked at me like I was crazy but they did it.  I secretly think they thought we were going away on vacation (we’ve done this before) but instead we took a walk around our block.  Our block is pretty large and the weather was beautiful.  I knew they would be exhausted in the morning since they were going to bed so much later so sleeping in their clothes would make the morning easier if they slept in.

The walk was just unexpected enough to end the stalemate.  Once we got home everyone had a drink of water, went to the bathroom, and fell fast asleep.

Sure my kids may look a little wrinkly today.  Big deal.  It’s not like they don’t look wrinkly other times, as well.  And let’s face it: my kids rarely match or stay clean for long.  I’d much rather they wear wrinkly clothes than I would have had to yell and scream for them to go to bed.

Have you ever tried doing something unexpected by your kids?  What was it?

xoxo
–k