Don't Knock It 'Til You Try It.

I'm thinking about writing my own parenting book [if you think I'm serious, joke's on you].  I discovered a most creative way to curb anger and replace it with laughter.  Parent magazine, eat your heart out, OR check me into the looney-bin!

Lincoln was on one today, oh, boy.  I was insistent that he lay down for a wee nap to sleep away his frustration.  He would have NOTHING to do with that, obviously.  Once we got to my room he was trying to escape.  I have no idea where it came from, this lunatic-motherish outburst . . . or act of genius, you decide.  Really, I'm sure it was just a crazy, hidden place in my brain that never surfaced until today. 

Here's what I did: I started talking in another language [pause . . . for effect], not a real language, kind of a mixture of chinese, italian, arabic, who knows, just to get his attention.  Call it desperation, a way to keep me from losing my temper . . . .  All I can say is it was HILARIOUS [in a "whoa, my mother is speaking in tongues" sort of way] and I had him wrapped around my finger.  I carried on for about 10 minutes, all foreign language-ish, pointing to the pillow, using body language and words to get my point across.  I'd stop and then he'd fish for more.  But, it worked!  And . . . I almost wet my pants, too, it was ridiculous.  I was ridiculous.

Who does that?  Desperate moms?  We were laughing and laughing and laughing.  He really did forget why he was mad.  Anger diffused.  Problem solved.  No nap, but peace reigned, and that's all I really wanted. 

Whatever works, right?  It certainly helps when you can speak chinese-italian-arabic-whatever.  Just try it.  Or, maybe, it takes a certain kind of kid to be funny.  Who knows?