To ask for your controversial parenting tips?!

[Napqueen1234]

No judgement here. I want to know what you do day to day that works for you/your family but others may think are a bit crazy or controversial.

Today I told a friend that every day when kids are in bed (3 and 1) I tidy the whole downstairs and put all toys away so I can have a completely toy/child free evening. we just have one living room so all their toys downstairs are there and I can’t relax unless it’s tidy. It takes maybe 5/10 mins and is so worth it. My friend was shocked and said she could never be bothered to do that every day (fair enough) and thought it was mad considering it gets immediately destroyed by 6:30 the next morning. I wouldn’t even consider not tidying but to each their own and wouldn’t matter to me if someone else didn’t!

Ok not particularly controversial but anyone else have anything more juicy??

During lockdown I have let my two boys (3 and 5) stay naked all day if they’re not playing outside in the garden. They don’t like wearing clothes and I don’t like washing them as I’m 9 months pregnant and can’t be bothered. Constantly getting comments off the MIL when she FaceTimes but i said if she doesn’t like it don’t call us. Win win 😆😆

Bottle fed from birth, but I used to make a few bottles up in the morning and leave them on the side to cool. They would be given at room temp from the side they were cooled on.
If I was caught out and there wasn't a bottle made I used to make the bottle but top it up with cold water to cool it ready for drinking immediately.
From being two years old, 30 minutes of physical exercise each evening was compulsory.
One meal option or go hungry.
Juice, chocolate, crisps, biscuits and cake banned.
Punishment for bad behaviour was a choice of extra exercise or extra schoolwork.

Toddler DS1 kept hitting baby DD when they were sat side by side in the supermarket trolley.

He was wearing a denim jacket so I unbuttoned the cuff and rebuttoned it around the handle of the trolley, so he was essentially handcuffed to it but it wasn't noticeable. Serves him right the bugger.

All three of my children had brandy rubbed on their gums when they were teething.
That was thirty years ago

@Cameron2012 my Mum did the same to me because I would NOT sleep. And I'd consider doing it to any children I have if I was desperate.

Wow, you really think controversial means to tidy or not? Each to their own and all that 😆

@Cameron2012 When the tooth was showing just below the gum, I used to press down hard and quick on it with my thumb to cut it through.
Baby howled for a couple of minutes then peace was restored.

@danceitout - sigh, maybe it’s just the school I work in! If I sent them home with ANY item astray - hair bands, gloves, coat undone, scarf, hats, water bottles, letters - I’d get moaned at! A large proportion of my time was spent cloakroom and dressing issues - and then it would often be my responsibility to dress them when they were brought into school too!

I get my 7 and 8 year old to do chores everyday even when in school and help with making meals when not in school obviously the things they are safe to do. Some people say it's mean etc to get them to do chores, but I think it's teaching them important life skills for the future and teaching them that a family should work as a team.

-I've taught my four and five year olds to play poker (penny stakes mind)

• Virtually no kid's TV. Not because of any piety around TV being Satan's answer to the modern world but because I bloody hate kid's TV, it does my head in. I do not plan on telling DC that there are entire channels dedicated to it any time soon.

I was adopted by my aunt and her partner when I was a toddler and, while they are both absolutely lovely, they were pretty adamant that I would fit in around their interests so grew up with things that, while not necessarily inappropriate, were quite unusual for a child and have carried that on with my own children to an extent.

"Things get lost sometimes. It sucks. But get over it"

Some French friends bought 3 of a toy teething giraffe that is very popular there called "Sophie". Solved numerous (well, 2) meltdowns, that did.

EDIT: This one ! Apparently available at John Lewis now. Well I never

www.mamasandpapas.com/en-gb/sophie-the-giraffe-teething-toy/p/6021c7901?source=aw&utm_source=awin&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Genie+Shopping&awc=6526_1592504574_f91eba065e3cf46de920f09ec58a4ce4

I vote this thread for classics. I just love the non conformity and it’s what I need to read after a day of stressing on keeping it perfect

@IagoWithABlackberry

-I've taught my four and five year olds to play poker (penny stakes mind)

• Virtually no kid's TV. Not because of any piety around TV being Satan's answer to the modern world but because I bloody hate kid's TV, it does my head in. I do not plan on telling DC that there are entire channels dedicated to it any time soon.

I was adopted by my aunt and her partner when I was a toddler and, while they are both absolutely lovely, they were pretty adamant that I would fit in around their interests so grew up with things that, while not necessarily inappropriate, were quite unusual for a child and have carried that on with my own children to an extent.

Playing cards, especially counting games like Blackjack, is actually excellent for developing numeracy skills

My 10yo has to be dragged kicking and screaming to a table to do a maths worksheet atm, but suggest a game of cards and he'll practise his numeracy skills without realising it.

It's been my favourite lazy learning tool during lockdown

I also bought a dartboard a couple of weeks ago for the exact same reason

I bribe my toddler with snacks, especially when we’re out. And I co sleep if he wakes in the night, always have done. No standing around for hour ages at 3am trying to coax him back to sleep.

Tidying in the evening normal surely? Not sure who would consider it controversial’

Mine is not a tip but a controversial parenting choice. My dc have never been to nursery or school.

Even easier if you never get into coaxing to sleep in the first place; cot/goodnight/leave room/shut door. Did it from Day 1 (yes, controversial I know but it worked ).

I never tidied in the evening if the DCs had spent hours building something all over the sitting room floor, or if DD1 had her craft stuff all over her bedroom floor.

Totally agree Lyra my DS loves cards, board games, chess etc from a very young age. Never forget him being given Junior Monopoly at 6 when he was happily playing 'real' Monopoly by that age. Al those games are great for learning maths skills etc.

He's now at Uni studying Economics. .

Another 'controversial' point of view, I would never sit and watch children's tv or a children's film with my DS .... tedious beyond belief. I am absolutely not one of those adults who would have a 'movie evening with popcorn', snuggling up to watch Polar Express on Christmas Eve would bore me to tears. . Surely the point of children's 'entertainment' is just that - to give the adults some peace and quiet.

I have very fond memories of playing Whist as a child. Dad believed in card games as a way to teach life skills .

With cards you just need to be careful they are not such a big part of your family life that when your DS starts nursery he counts to 10, then adds Jack, Queen and King on

Maybe the OP pressed send too soon and meant to type that she tidies everything into the outdoor bin when the bin men are due.
Now that would be controversial 😂

@BalloonSlayer

On the receiving end of unconventional..... I remember one bright sunny day playing with my two siblings all happy and fun in the garden., all of us under 13. Mum turns up out of kitchen draws me aside and looks me in the eye and says. "Now listen you must never commit suicide, it is very selfish and wrong and ruins families for ages. Do not ever do it". She looked at me.
I was stuck , actually wondering what was happening.

"OK Mum I got that , I understand what you said, can I go back and play?"

"Yes".

I checked they had all got that too earlier in the week. There had been no recent family events to trigger this. Still we are all still alive today decades later. She never repeated it.

My DC are paid to do there school work

Their