ONE parenting hack that made my life easier is the simple 10 minute rule.
Picture this…
You are out with your young child at the mall, braving the play area… Your little one climbs on the little foam play figure, as you imagine Every. Single. One. Of the germs that’s slathered on the ENTIRE play area. Never mind the carousel…. Hand sanitizer. So much sanitizer after you exit. Like, you will basically bathe in it….
Then, you realize…. You have to try to DRAG your kid/kids away from the most “magical place in the mall”…
It’ll most likely end in a scene that is reminiscent of the exorcist…
Friends. There is a better way! 🙂
Let me introduce to you the “10 minute warning!”
How do you, as an adult, respond to being interrupted when you are super focused? I’m guessing a little frustrated…
The same goes for kids. They are soooooo focused, it’s hard to get them to switch gears mentally to leave without a little warning.
So, About 15 minutes Before I want to actually leave whwre ever, I’ll start giving my kids a countdown. that loons somethjng like, “15 minutes and we are leaving kids!”.
Although that might be what it sounds like for me telling my older (9-16) kids that the family “bus” is heading out soon…
With my toddlers, (ages 2.5) I break it down a little more. Which looks more like, “Josiah, Olivia… We are getting ready to leave in 10 minutes. We will clean up in 5 minutes, and put our shoes on to go home after that”…
Then I will continue to give them a 5 minute warning, then a 3 minute warning, then a 1 minute warning. Each time, explaining that we are going home after the minutes are up.
8 out of 10 times (Times two. Because twins) we will have no melt downs! It’s such a great tool to help departing from fun events with less of a hassle.
Purpose Driven Parenting Hacks 