What do your days with kids look like

[freespirit333]

In terms of instructing, light scolding, telling off, punishing.

Two DC 7 and 4. 7 year old is ND.

It’s constant. Getting ready for school in the week, sports clubs on the weekend. It’s not always full bollocking - sometimes a light “do that please. Right you’re not listening so TV will go off until you do”. But the latter kind of light scolding I describe is honestly constant. We’re the same leaving the house - telling one DC to be kind, not to wind up the other. I feel like we are “that family” on our street even though I try to be really considerate with noise in the garden etc. But I hear my neighbours with DC leaving the house, it seems straightforward and harmonious. And if they do have to “tell their DC off”, it’s once and the DC listen.

Anyone else? Just me?

I only have the one so different as I don't have the bickering siblings. But I don't really use punishments, I don't shout or take toys away, use naughty step etc. With my son it's trying to get him to get dressed, do teeth, have a bath, the usual kind of things we have to do but it's the transition he struggles with. I give lots of warnings and countdowns to prepare him for every single transition which is wearing but it works a lot better for me. If he's watching TV and I've asked him to do something and given the countdown and he's still refusing I'll just turn the TV off and walk away, hell strop for a bit but then just come and do what he's been asked. I try and stay calm and not show if I'm feeling frazzled as I feel he then reflects my calm behaviour.

It can feel like the days are facing one battle to the next, it's exhausting when you have to tell them ten times to do something and I'm still trying to figure out the best way to do it. Personally I know I am guilty of sometimes not sticking to what I've said, so sometimes I'll say okay well just another five minutes then we are getting dressed, whereas I should follow through with nope we are doing it now. But it's hard when you just want to get through the day without constant tantrums/conflict.

Yes to be fair a lot of it is to do with sibling bickering, my god they love hard and fight hard! Thank you. I don’t use timeouts etc because they never worked but I definitely shout and “punish” on the spot (ie by turning the TV off which could’ve been left on while they got dressed, for example).

So very very wearing!