The Daddy Complex

Threatening Better

I made a joke here a few days ago about how the secret to successful parenting is to issue threats. (Commenter ryanmcawesome clarified the real success lies in being able to follow through with those threats. McAgreed.) For the bedtime routine, I’ve stumbled upon a technique that, so far, seems to keep them from misbehaving after I close the door.

Before I start the routine, I pick six seemingly random toys and line them up on the dresser. I explain to the boys that if I have to return to their bedroom after saying goodnight for any non-emergency reason, I’m taking two of the toys, which will be given away. I repeat this warning occasionally throughout the routine to make sure it’s ingrained in their minds.

Letting them see exactly which toys they’ll lose is, I think, the stroke of genius. It shows them the exact result and allows them to make their choice. They have to decide if they want to get out of bed or lose the red car. They have to decide if they want to go turn on the light or lose the wooden train.

Since I’ve implemented this tactic, they’ve gone to bed with little trouble. That’s right. I’m threatening my way to better parenting.

Recent comments

Blog comments powered by Disqus

Notes

  1. cultivatingme said: This idea also works well on teenagers!
  2. titianblue said: Wish I had thought of this when my daughter was younger…………I just don’t think it will work on a 15 year old the same way. I wish.
  3. ryanmcawesome said: clearly you are the evil genius of parenting!
  4. cocoageek said: My 3yo recently started going to bed with a stuffed dog (out of the blue), so once I have been back to his room twice, I tell him that I’ll take the dog away if I need to come again. Works pretty well so far :->
  5. mollysueschwarz said: This is genious. I’m so over the bedtime nonsense. I’m at the end of my rope. Let the threats begin.
  6. regeenalane said: This…is….genius!
  7. accol said: brb forwarding this to every parent of toddlers that I know.
  8. kimber-leigh said: I may try a version of this to keep them from getting up so early each morning…
  9. thedaddycomplex posted this