CAN YOU
NEW
KIDS
NEW
KIDS
WITH MUM-OF-
TWO AND SOCIAL
COMMENTATOR
ANGELA
MOLLARDWITH MUM-OF-
TWO AND SOCIAL
COMMENTATOR
ANGELA
MOLLARDresult rather than the process.
Filling a cleaning caddy with
products they can use and
showing them how to use them
will help kids feel ownership
over the task.
We’d also do better if we let
go of our perfectionist streak and
let kids do the job to their ability,
even if it’s not as good as we
would do. Children learn
through doing, so championing
rather than critiquing efforts will
give them a sense of pride.‘KONDO ’
YOUR KIDS?
PERIOD DRAMA
With plenty of girls now
starting their periods in
primary school, you can
offset their shock or
embarrassment by being fully
prepared. Chat about what
might happen but also
assemble a small kit together
including sanitary pads, wet
wipes, spare undies and a
nappy sack to bring dirty
underwear home. Also
discuss which teacher she
might go to if she’s distressed.S
he’s the tidying
guru who took the
world by
storm, and
now Marie
Kondo has set her
sights on kids. The
best-selling author
of The Life-Changing
Magic of Tidying Up
has written a picture
book about two friends
who have different skills
when it comes to running
their lives.
Kiki & Jax: The
Life-Changing Magic of
Friendship tells the story
of Kiki, who is a
collector, and Jax, a
sorter, and how their
different approaches to
life can cause tension.
While many would pay good
money for the secret to getting
their kids to pick up after
themselves, Marie’s book raises
questions about how parents
may be preventing kids from
pulling their weight.
Experts say we make it
logistically hard for kids by
taking over, using cleaning
products they can’t use and
making tidying about the endIn busy homes many parents
pay a cleaner or rush through
tasks while their children are out
or sleeping. While it will take
more time to do tasks with them,
not only do they learn what’s
required to run a household but
they will learn to contribute and
see the family as a team. Finally,
we have to consider the end goal- do we want spotless homes or
do we want to raise competent
people who are taught tasks that
will set them up for life?
DECIDE WHAT YOU
WANT THEM TO DO
For instance, you might clean
out their lunch boxes but you
expect them to bring them to the
kitchen as soon as they get home
from school. Or you may expect
them to help prepare the
vegetables for dinner.USE LOGICAL
CONSEQUENCES
There’s no point denying your child
a sleepover when they don’t hang
their towel up. Instead, leave them
to use a wet towel. If they don’t
bring their lunch box to the kitchen,
don’t make their lunch. They have
to feel the impact of their lack of
responsibility.BE A ROLE MODEL
If you set a tidying rule, follow it
yourself. If you don’t change the
toilet roll on the holder you can’t
expect them to do it.“HAVING
A BABY IS JUST LIVING IN
THE CONSTANT UNEXPECTED.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN
YOU’RE GONNA GET CRAPPED
ON OR WHEN YOU’RE GONNA
GET A BIG SMILE OR WHEN
THAT SMILE IMMEDIATELY
TURNS INTO HYSTERICS. IT
MIGHT BE LIKE LIVING WITH
A DRUG ADDICT.”TIPS FOR
TIDYINGThere are benefits to not rushing
to your baby when they cry, says
Emily Oster, author of Cribsheet,
who has examined research on
controlled crying, noting it can help
babies sleep better and it doesn’t
emotionally damage them later in
life. “That doesn’t mean it’s going to
be the right choice for everybody,
but for those who want
to do that, there’s a
reassuring picture
from the data,”
she says.A CRY FOR HELP
Blake Lively, soon to
be mother of three.
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