How to put an end to the constant nagging and begging of your children

 

“Mom, can I have chocolate?” “Mom, can I watch TV now?” “Mom, are we going to the playground today?” “Mommy, mommy, is Sarah coming over to play today?” “Mommy, mommy, mommy, is today Saturday?” “Mommy, mommy, M-O-M-M-Y...!”

Does this sound familiar? If you’re a mama of a toddler or young school-age child, you know what I’m talking about, don’t you? Constantly begging, pleading, asking, nagging.

If you want to know how we managed to put an end to this constant asking, then today I’m going to tell you how I helped my kids organize themselves and their everyday life. 

 

It has definitely made my life as a mom easier, and it has given my kids a certain amount of independence and control.

Especially small children don’t understand time concepts like tomorrow, Saturday or next week. Tomorrow could be now, who knows? So to be on the safe side, they ask again. And then they ask again, and again. 

At some point, mom or dad is so annoyed with their child, that they give a not-so-nice answer. Probably the child will have a break from asking questions until they start again. 

That’s not very nice for anyone involved.

 

That’s why I made a visual weekly planner with my kids. And believe me, the constantly asking has been reduced to a minimum. 

 

 

And now I’m no longer the bad mommy who has to say NO all the time. (Which feels pretty awesome)

 

“No, you can’t have any chocolate right now.” “No, Sarah is not coming to play today, but tomorrow.” “No, you can’t watch TV.” “No,…”

My standard sentence is: Just look at your weekly planner. And that settles the issue.

It really works, try it out!

 

 

Every morning, my kids look at their weekly planners. That way, they know what’s on the agenda for today.

My big son (6 years old), can prepare his things for the next day with one look at the planner, the night before. This saves me work and he learns independence. If he knows he has breakdancing class after school tomorrow, he can put out his gym clothes, so he doesn’t forget them the next day.

Even my three-year-old does this already, although I still help a little.

 

 

Extra Tip:

If your child often asks you if he gets something sweet, if he can watch TV, etc., then set a specific day for it.

For example, we have a candy day and a TV day – on the other days there is nothing. 

This way, you can control much better how much candy your child eats, or how much TV he can watch. Or they can do this every day, but at a certain time and only in a certain amount. For example, a series before dinner, or a small sweet after lunch.

However you arrange it, your children (and you too) know exactly what the rules are. This constant asking, begging, and pleading stops. That is, of course, if you stick to it consistently.

 

Important:

Don’t forget to plan fun activities too. We have one day a week when we bake homemade pizza together in the evening. Or we have a game night, a movie night with popcorn, etc. Family rituals are important and fun.

 

Feel free to give me feedback if a weekly planner has helped you too. Or maybe you do have another great idea. I am always open to suggestions and ideas.

 

In my next blog post, I’ll tell you how I get my kids to help around the house and what routines we’ve introduced. 

With a family of six, everyone has to pitch in, including the kids.  And that can even be fun 😉

 

P.s. If you have any questions or suggestions, or if you have any help on the subject of sleeping, please write to me. I am glad to help!

E-mail: info@thesleepingbabyproject.com

All the best,

Jessica