Odd days or even days – a parenting tip
Being a parent of two preteens who are less than two years apart, I have had my fair share of frustration.
My kids fought over things big or small, such as who got to use the laptop computer. They argued about who did what.
“I need to use the computer, but he/she won’t let me.”
“Why should I do this, when Andy doesn’t have to?”
“How comes Amy doesn’t have to do it?”
It was frustrating to hear their same arguments again and again.
I found a simple yet quite effective solution, using odd days and even days.
My son’s birthday falls on an odd day, my daughter on an even day. When it is an odd day, my son gets to use the computer first for an hour, then he has to let his sister use it the next hour. They take turns. On odd days he washes dishes, on even days, she washes dishes.
Once the ground rule was set, the arguments diminished considerably. No more fights and complaints as it used to be. I simply ask the question: “What day is today?” It settles before they argue.
They still argue and complain sometimes, but it’s so much better now.
I am glad I have more peace and less frustration at home now.
