We’ve learned a lot this year, don’t you think? We know more about respiratory droplets than we ever cared to know, we have a more thorough understanding of the nuances of our electoral process, and we’ve learned that apparently we can work from home and our kids can learn from home for months on end even if we really, really don’t want to.
This year’s been like no other, a year when hacks were needed more than ever—especially for parents, and even more especially for parents of little kids—so I pulled together a collection of the year’s best tips and tricks for raising young children.
And we’re going to start in the most necessary of places: The Land of the Whine.
How to stop all the whining
Whether they’re whining because they legit cannot keep their shit together anymore, or whether the whine is a straight-up power play, we have a variety of strategies in here for addressing and combatting that high-pitched, nails-on-the-chalkboard screeching that threatens to send you over the edge.
If one of the things they’re whining about is learning how to properly write numbers, follow me.
Try the “Thumb Numbers” trick
Learning how to write out numbers is no easy feat when you’re a little one. All those straight and curvy lines coming together to form a variety of meaningful symbols takes concentration, dedication, and perseverance. And, sometimes, a little trick—like this one, dreamed up by an occupational therapy assistant—is just what they need for it all to click into place.
Meanwhile, in the process of learning to draw their numbers, their marker caps have been rolling all over the place and getting lost, right?
Well, that ends now
We’ve lost so much this year. This pandemic has taken more away from us than we could ever have predicted, expected, or braced ourselves for. And so much of that loss is out of our control; so we have to take our wins—however small they may be—wherever we can get them. It’s time to duct-tape your kid’s marker caps together, is what I’m saying.
Next up: Let’s teach them to put their own clothes away.
Print thyself some picture labels
Sometimes kids flat-out don’t want to clean or put things away. Other times, what may look like a tantrum over not wanting to put things away may actually be frustration over not knowing how to put things away.
Our homes are full of drawers and cabinets, bins and shelves. And although we may (mostly) remember where things belong, our little kids may struggle to remember which is the sock drawer when they need to clean up the piles of clothes they just threw all over their bedroom floor.
Our simple solution: Print out some picture labels.
Wait—how have we not talked about picky eating yet?
They don’t want that; they don’t like that
Some kids are bound to turn their nose up at practically anything you put in front of them, unless it’s chicken nuggets, waffles, French fries, or plain pasta (in other words, beige food). And yet, you want them to at least try enough of a variety that can eventually they develop an appreciation for different foods (or at least get a few nutrients along the way).
Actor and comedian Jake Johnson came up with a solution earlier this year that I wish I’d thought of myself: Let them pretend to be a cooking show judge. They’ll take a few more bites so they can tell you precisely what they do and don’t like about your meal.
Oh, and while we’re talking about picky eaters...
Let’s stop calling them that
If you think about it, little kids are still pretty new to the whole “eating” thing, so I’m not sure why we’re all so surprised that they don’t immediate think something even as delicious as pizza looks particularly appetizing, let alone why vegetables would not be their first—or 50th—choice for a snack. (I’ll say it: Carrots just aren’t that good, guys.)
So labeling them as a “picky eater” right off the bat is not only unhelpful; it’s probably not even true in the long run. I propose we try to ditch that term as much as possible.
Now that they’ve eaten (or not), it’s time to put them to work.
Except they’ll think they’re playing
The cool thing about little kids is that what you see as a pain-in-the-ass chore you have to do once again, they see as a full-blown good time. Try loading up the laundry machine and you’ll soon hear the desperate plea, “Can I do it?” from behind you. Ready to press start on the dishwasher? Here comes a toddler careening toward you, determined to get there first. And this is why you should buy them a cheap vacuum cleaner to play with.
Not a toy vacuum, because what the hell is the point of those? If they’re going to pretend to vacuum up their crumbs after lunch, they may as well actually do it.
Get them a doll, too. But not just any doll.
More specifically: A Black doll
White dolls aren’t just for white kids, and Black dolls aren’t just for Black kids; all children need some diversity represented in the toys they play with. Children of color often already have a wide variety of light-skinned toys because those are the most commonly available options. But chances are, if your child is white, the vast majority of their toys have a skin color representative of their own.
There’s also a good chance that white children are already surrounded by an abundance of white in their neighborhoods, their classrooms, their social circles, and in the media they consume. In addition to seeking out diverse friends, role models, and media, you should make an effort to diversify their toys, as well.
Okay; so you have somehow managed to survive raising little kids this year. Now it’s time for a well-deserved rest...
But how is that even possible?
I know it doesn’t seem like you can supervise young children and rest at the same time, but you just have to want it badly enough. Like this dad, who came off an overnight shift one morning just as his wife needed to go grocery shopping, leaving him alone with their four children. And that, my friends, is how games like “Draw Me as I Rest—Best One Gets a Chocolate” are born.
