Jess and I want our kids to behave in public. I want them to sit in a restaurant and have it not be stressful at all (well as much as that can happen with 3 kids). Not too much to ask am I right?
Here is what I am doing to make that happen. For the most part it works but I have for sure had sometimes where I was like, BAD IDEA.
I take our kids out to eat at quick restaurants. Not fancy places at all just casual dining type places. Sometimes it is just to McDonalds (which i dislike more than you know) and other weeks it is to our favorite, Noodles & Company.
I am careful about what time of the day we go and also am very cautious of nap schedules too. I do not like to go at "rush hour" and sit down and eat.
I take them by myself because I am a little more laid back when it comes to being in public with the kids. It is probably because I do it way more. I haul them wherever unless it is going to be a complete drag for them or not let me be successful with what I need to do. (some doctor appointments are better without extras). So when it comes to sitting down at Noodles & Co I can generally keep my temper and show patience, I mean I want to eat too!
Bathroom before you even sit down. On average we get up and go the bathroom about 2 times when we go. And sometimes it is because Rae sees someone she just keeps wanting to walk by and stare at. (yes it was 2 teenage boys she was crushin' on) So, drop your coats and go the bathroom before you order. I make all kids go and try, I usually change Gat too. It's happened a couple times where I didn't make Jo go and 5 minutes after we get our food she has gotta go. Or I didn't change Gat and he starts fussing mid meal.
Somedays are kids are GREAT and others it is more trying. Right now our biggest struggle is Gat. He HATES sitting in those high chairs, he is so uncomfortable. Once I went out to lunch with a couple of friends and one of them, Lindz, brought her bumbo for her little girl. I am thinking maybe that would help if I did that for Gat. Although, places that don't have booths that would be trickier. (I probably would get a lot looks if I just plopped him in the bumbo on a chair.
What do you do to make an outing successful? Any tips for me!?
Monday, May 6, 2013
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Do You Fight in Front of Your Kids?
Jess and I don't have a lot of screaming matches. But we definitely bicker a lot. We tend to do it in front of the kids. I don't let things go without talking them out, for the most part. I remember my parents fights, which consisted of mom ignoring dad. I want to show the kids how to work through things or out problems instead of ignoring the problem all together. (I am not sure how it was behind the scenes or anything but that is how I remember it.) But, we never saw how they resolved the problem. I want to show the kids that you can argue with someone and work through it then be cordial and the whole house does not have to be on edge for rest of the day.
I think if it is an issue of parenting then we tend to keep it away from the kids. I will bite my tongue until we are in a different room from them. I believe in keeping a united front for the kids. A lot of these are more conversations than fighting. If Jess and I fight it is more me just upset about something little, that I have pushed aside. Which I personally have been trying to be better about. Honestly though, a lot of the bigger arguments aren't even about him. It is a lot about things happening around us.
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Like Mal and Jesse, Tim and I and don't really get into a lot of screaming matches. Generally, we are the same page about important life changing decisions. That's not saying there haven't ever been any in the 8 years we've been together. I remember getting into one of those fights when Stella was a newborn. We didn't let her being there hold us back, after all she was a baby she wouldn't remember it anyway. But it did effect her that night. She got really upset, even after I had stopped crying, I had trouble getting her to calm down and go to sleep. Since then, if we need to hash something out that has the potential to get heated, we do it after she's gone to bed.
However we do bicker/get into little arguments quite a bit. I have no concerns about our kids seeing us bicker or argue. I think it's good for them to see that mom and dad don't always agree on things, but they still love each other. I also feel like Tim and I have a pretty healthy way of arguing. We don't be little each other, we listen to what each other has to say, and we generally verbally state our agreement/or agreement to disagree at the end of the conversation. I think these are all things that are important for our kids to see, so that they will learn there are respectful ways for people to argue.
Seems Mallorie and I handle fighting in front of our kids in much the same way. What are your thoughts on the subject?
I think if it is an issue of parenting then we tend to keep it away from the kids. I will bite my tongue until we are in a different room from them. I believe in keeping a united front for the kids. A lot of these are more conversations than fighting. If Jess and I fight it is more me just upset about something little, that I have pushed aside. Which I personally have been trying to be better about. Honestly though, a lot of the bigger arguments aren't even about him. It is a lot about things happening around us.
----
Like Mal and Jesse, Tim and I and don't really get into a lot of screaming matches. Generally, we are the same page about important life changing decisions. That's not saying there haven't ever been any in the 8 years we've been together. I remember getting into one of those fights when Stella was a newborn. We didn't let her being there hold us back, after all she was a baby she wouldn't remember it anyway. But it did effect her that night. She got really upset, even after I had stopped crying, I had trouble getting her to calm down and go to sleep. Since then, if we need to hash something out that has the potential to get heated, we do it after she's gone to bed.
However we do bicker/get into little arguments quite a bit. I have no concerns about our kids seeing us bicker or argue. I think it's good for them to see that mom and dad don't always agree on things, but they still love each other. I also feel like Tim and I have a pretty healthy way of arguing. We don't be little each other, we listen to what each other has to say, and we generally verbally state our agreement/or agreement to disagree at the end of the conversation. I think these are all things that are important for our kids to see, so that they will learn there are respectful ways for people to argue.
Seems Mallorie and I handle fighting in front of our kids in much the same way. What are your thoughts on the subject?
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
April Love List
Here's a few things we loved about April.
Alexis:Potty training success for Roo, purchase and redo to come of that rad chair (grad gift!), nice weather to play outside, graduation of course!
Jamie: Love Bean's new floppy hat, the wedding of one of my oldest friends, family fun day at Tangle Town and the March for Babies walk
Mallorie: The girls got to wear their new Easter outfits, nice long walks outside, date night was a wedding, and the March for Babies walk:)
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