If you are like me, and the rest of America, you have probably seen the video from Sweet Brown.
This video went viral and it’s actually been a lifesaver for me.
My daughter is very dramatic, much like myself, and when she starts to whine I don’t always know what to do. I used to joke, “if she’s gonna whine, I’m gonna drink wine!”
If you’re a mother of daughters, you know that whining is inevitable for these overly dramatic little human beings. You also know that it sounds like nails on a chalkboard and can drive you over the edge.
It makes me want to find a closet to lock myself in and get away from it! Of course, as a mother, my job is to teach my children to deal with their emotions and talk things out in a healthy way.
But seriously, what do I do?
One day, I looked down at her after she whined all morning and, in the famous words of miss Sweet Brown, I said, “ain’t nobody got time for that!”
Then I began to sing the song and the kids and I started to laugh. It instantly stopped her and everybody began to join in with me.
My kids love that video to so they knew the song. Before I knew it we were all dancing and singing, “Ain’t nobody got time for that, nobody got time fo that!”
I guess not all parenting solutions can be found in fancy books and psychological advice or reasons why we should handle a situation a certain way.
I think we take ourselves too seriously sometimes and try to give so many rules or character building lessons that we forget to dance.
Sometimes kids wake up in a funk, just like some days I wake up in a funk. And we all know the best way to get out of the funk is laughter.
Maybe for you, it isn’t Sweet Browns song, but I am sure you can find a way to get your kids to laugh in a tense moment and snap at them out of their funk.
Try dancing, singing, telling their favorite joke, swinging them around, or using a funny accent.
Try anything.
As a mom, I’m always looking for teachable moments and ways to guide them and to replace negative behaviors with positive behaviors.
I still probably lecture them too much or make situations more serious than they need to be. Sometimes, you just simply got a laugh and say, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
Lishele Wigand
www.Lishous.com
Read Next:
Mom diaries: we're all on the same team