I've realized a few times since Brendan was born that some things I've done to "train" him were very similar to how Jeff and I trained our lab, Bailey! I'm not saying that Brendan is just like a dog, but a toddler brain and a baby brain can be a little similar, especially if you have both a dog and a toddler that will do anything for food...
Brendan has always been very motivated by food. I was shoving Gerber Graduates Puffs in his mouth as soon as I saw another mom of a 6 month old giving them to her little girl, AND that fact her pediatrician had them on the "list" of foods appropriate for a 6 month old! That's all I needed to hear! I saw an opportunity to buy some much needed extra shopping/browsing time, since I spent most trips from 0 to 6 months rushing through the grocery store, mall, drug store, etc. As much as I tried from the time he was born, I just couldn't make him a good, patient, shopper. Those little Puffs gave me a new life! What a God-send! I miss those things!
And the "Have Food, Will Be Mommy's Little Angel" stage lasted well into today. If I run out of food and drink during an outing, it's time to go home! I'm the lady in the grocery store with 4 opened boxes of food and snacks, because whatever I brought from home isn't good enough! But do I really care, as long as he's not the kid screaming and embarassing me? Nope!
I had a ton of running around to do the other day, and my last trip was a quick run into the grocery store to grab diced tomatoes and stuffing for an easy dinner I was going to make. P.S. I love the Kraft Foods website and can ALWAYS find something to make on this site! I was making a Chicken Bruschetta Bake that night and had everything but these two items... It was really good!
So I had already been in and out of the car so many times by this point, and I just didn't want to take the stroller out one more time, or get the shopping cart cover out of the back again. I knew it would be a quick in and out trip, but Brendan is SO heavy now it's just too hard to carry him for that long with my back. Just a side note, Brendan would be the happiest kid on the block if I carried him around everywhere, ALL DAY. And I wish I could! I know one day he won't even want me around him! He must say "Mommy, hold you up" at least 25 times a day. He thinks when he refers to himself, he should use "you" since I always say "Do you want me to hold you?" It's really cute.
Can I finish this blog already! Jeez. Since I didn't feel like getting out the stroller or cart cover again, I opted for him to hold my hand. HA! Like that will really happen the entire time while we walk through the store. There are WAY too many distractions at a 2-year old eye level in a grocery store... he's always very good at hand-holding in the parking lot, but once we get inside, it's all over.
So here's what I did: Very similar to how I trained Bailey to walk beside me on her leash using pieces of dog food, I took some old jellybeans I had in my diaper bag leftover from a previous "bribery-stint" and I put them in my pocket. "I have a surprise for you in the store if you stay by mommy..." I told him in a sweet, sing-songy voice. So as he pulled away from me once we walked in the store, he was no more than 1 foot behind me the entire trip as I pulled out one jellybean at a time. He didn't want to veer anywhere that may lead him in a direction other than the lady with the jellybeans.
I looked like the mom who had that hard to find obedient 2 year old in the store. He followed me around like a puppy-dog! I saw people watching him follow me around and they smiled. I'm sure it's a rare occurrence to see a 2 year old little boy, unconfined, just following around their mother in a store all the time! If they only knew my little secret: "Great" Parenting Tip #26: Reward your wandering child by shoving a jellybean in his mouth if he sticks by you. They learn real quick. So did the dog...
It's still easier to put him in a stroller or cart, but I just wasn't in the mood! I'm glad to see if I have a little sugar, I have a child that will stay by my side! I may not have ALL the answers, but that one, I do!!
Who doesn't love a little candy incentive? FYI - If you ever want me to follow you around, you should use chocolate, not jellybeans.
Brendan has always been very motivated by food. I was shoving Gerber Graduates Puffs in his mouth as soon as I saw another mom of a 6 month old giving them to her little girl, AND that fact her pediatrician had them on the "list" of foods appropriate for a 6 month old! That's all I needed to hear! I saw an opportunity to buy some much needed extra shopping/browsing time, since I spent most trips from 0 to 6 months rushing through the grocery store, mall, drug store, etc. As much as I tried from the time he was born, I just couldn't make him a good, patient, shopper. Those little Puffs gave me a new life! What a God-send! I miss those things!
And the "Have Food, Will Be Mommy's Little Angel" stage lasted well into today. If I run out of food and drink during an outing, it's time to go home! I'm the lady in the grocery store with 4 opened boxes of food and snacks, because whatever I brought from home isn't good enough! But do I really care, as long as he's not the kid screaming and embarassing me? Nope!
I had a ton of running around to do the other day, and my last trip was a quick run into the grocery store to grab diced tomatoes and stuffing for an easy dinner I was going to make. P.S. I love the Kraft Foods website and can ALWAYS find something to make on this site! I was making a Chicken Bruschetta Bake that night and had everything but these two items... It was really good!
So I had already been in and out of the car so many times by this point, and I just didn't want to take the stroller out one more time, or get the shopping cart cover out of the back again. I knew it would be a quick in and out trip, but Brendan is SO heavy now it's just too hard to carry him for that long with my back. Just a side note, Brendan would be the happiest kid on the block if I carried him around everywhere, ALL DAY. And I wish I could! I know one day he won't even want me around him! He must say "Mommy, hold you up" at least 25 times a day. He thinks when he refers to himself, he should use "you" since I always say "Do you want me to hold you?" It's really cute.
Can I finish this blog already! Jeez. Since I didn't feel like getting out the stroller or cart cover again, I opted for him to hold my hand. HA! Like that will really happen the entire time while we walk through the store. There are WAY too many distractions at a 2-year old eye level in a grocery store... he's always very good at hand-holding in the parking lot, but once we get inside, it's all over.
So here's what I did: Very similar to how I trained Bailey to walk beside me on her leash using pieces of dog food, I took some old jellybeans I had in my diaper bag leftover from a previous "bribery-stint" and I put them in my pocket. "I have a surprise for you in the store if you stay by mommy..." I told him in a sweet, sing-songy voice. So as he pulled away from me once we walked in the store, he was no more than 1 foot behind me the entire trip as I pulled out one jellybean at a time. He didn't want to veer anywhere that may lead him in a direction other than the lady with the jellybeans.
I looked like the mom who had that hard to find obedient 2 year old in the store. He followed me around like a puppy-dog! I saw people watching him follow me around and they smiled. I'm sure it's a rare occurrence to see a 2 year old little boy, unconfined, just following around their mother in a store all the time! If they only knew my little secret: "Great" Parenting Tip #26: Reward your wandering child by shoving a jellybean in his mouth if he sticks by you. They learn real quick. So did the dog...
It's still easier to put him in a stroller or cart, but I just wasn't in the mood! I'm glad to see if I have a little sugar, I have a child that will stay by my side! I may not have ALL the answers, but that one, I do!!
Who doesn't love a little candy incentive? FYI - If you ever want me to follow you around, you should use chocolate, not jellybeans.
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