Smart Baby. Smarter Parents?

[jstnrgrs]

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I'll never understand why people think that the best way to deal with a child who wants some attention is to ignore him. I see this in the grocery store all the time.

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so how do you suggest dealing with a child like that?

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When my wife was expecting our first child, I asked all the parents I knew for child-raising advice. The most memorable tidbit was this:

"Two things: Shower them with attention, and keep them busy."

So I've been doing that since the day they were born. I've never had a wailing, minutes-long tantrum to deal with. Because I never ignore my kids, they don't act that way.

Ignoring them isn't the solution--it's the problem.

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Good luck when your kids go into the real world, and they can't function because they don't have anyone to shower them with attention of keep them busy.

[nuclear500]

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I'll never understand why people think that the best way to deal with a child who wants some attention is to ignore him. I see this in the grocery store all the time.

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so how do you suggest dealing with a child like that?

[/ QUOTE ]

When my wife was expecting our first child, I asked all the parents I knew for child-raising advice. The most memorable tidbit was this:

"Two things: Shower them with attention, and keep them busy."

So I've been doing that since the day they were born. I've never had a wailing, minutes-long tantrum to deal with. Because I never ignore my kids, they don't act that way.

Ignoring them isn't the solution--it's the problem.

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Good luck when your kids go into the real world, and they can't function because they don't have anyone to shower them with attention of keep them busy.

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QFT

this is the problem with all the over-protective parenting in the last 10-15 years. I throw up in my mouth everytime I hear about some law being changed or rule being made because some kid is a moron and his parents are retards.

[youtalkfunny]

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Ignoring them isn't the solution--it's the problem.

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Good luck when your kids go into the real world, and they can't function because they don't have anyone to shower them with attention of keep them busy.

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When does "The Real World" begin?

They're all in school now. The youngest just finished first grade, the oldest just finished fourth grade. My son got a 95 in math this year. That was the lowest grade that any of the three kids brought home in any subject. Every parent-teacher conference is a rave review by the teachers, and they're not confining their opinions to academic performance--they say the kids are doing great at things like behaving in class, getting along with others, putting toys away, whatever, you name it.

Again, all bets are off when they become teens, but as of now, my kids are giving me all that I could ask.

It seems to me that you think it would "build character" if I occasionally let my kids throw a tantrum, and act out to get attention. I'm telling you from personal experience, you couldn't be more wrong.

("Personal experience" means that I was the kid who didn't get enough attention, and I spent my childhood getting into trouble so that my parents would discipline me. A good report card was forgotten in five minutes, but a call from the teacher about me never turning in homework would make me the center of attention for a week. I'd disrupt the class so that maybe the teacher would show me some attention. I was pathetic. My kids may or may not turn out great, but if they don't, it won't be because they wanted attention.)