doing to the person you’re talking to, or even hang up so you can
escort a little one to her room. Some calls become more expensive,
but whatever it takes, do it. Otherwise the children will know that you
are a sitting duck every time someone calls.
This phone routine is not easy in the beginning. After a while,
though, many parents succeed in training the children to the point that
the adults don’t have to say anything while counting. They simply
hold up the appropriate number of fingers while they continue their
conversation! And the children respond because they know Mom or
Dad means business. If you’ve gotten to this point, it’s a mighty
handy tactic to use when you’re talking on the telephone.
Key ConceptThe point behind 1-2-3 Magic is that parents are ready for anything, rather than
worrying what the kids are going to do next. The message is: “I love you, and it’s
my job to train and discipline you. I don’t expect you to be perfect, and when you
act up, this is what I will do.”What if the kid wrecks the room during his so-called “rest
period”?
The vast majority of children will not be room wreckers. Only a small
percentage of kids will throw things around and mess up the room. An
even smaller percentage of children will break things, tear their beds
apart, or kick holes in the wall. Their parents need to know how to
handle these sometimes scary actions.