Interrupt Rule!

Today I saw the HUGE need of the "Interrupt rule". Mathena was yelling her little lungs out trying to get my attention while I was having a conversation with my friend. At that point, I was embarrased! How rude my little one is!! YOU are up for some training, my munchkin!!! Don't think my friend saw any different but in my heart, I knew Mathena can do better.

We learnt this technique in our many parenting classes we took and have found it to be a most useful and delighting skill to teach our girls. Noone else promotes it except the "Childwise" Growing Kids God's way syllabus. We recommend it to EVERYONE and give full praise to it.

This is the scene: Recall the times when we are having a conversation with someone, on the phone or in person. When the little one goes "Mommy, mommy, mommy!!!" a zillion times and the volume increases with each annoyance. The child has something to say or something to show you!! The Interrupt rule gets them to put their precious hand on our hip, leg (wherever appropriate), and trains them to wait till we acknowledge them. The entire process is QUIET, and we respond(so as not to ignore them) to their need by putting OUR hand on theirs and gently squeezing them, and then, find a good point (in our conversation or sentence) to say "Excuse me, I'd like to acknowledge my child, can I get back to you?", and then, the little one gets here chance to "Speak!". The child will be assured that you know he/she's there, she knows that you'll find a moment to get to her/him and all parties involved are respected and happy! How sweet is that???

This works amazingly well and shows the world a standard shining in patience, virtues and Godliness. I am STILL training Mathena in role plays (practice at home every chance you get) while Letitia has got it very much under control. She sees the benefits herself and we see the wonders of what a little patience does to her. I have friends who have their 6 month old doing the Interrupt Rule and with more than 4 children in a household too. Can you imagine how orderly their days are???

Try it, train up your child to standards higher than of this world. Get back to me and tell me the difference it makes. It took us up 2 plus weeks, and we are reaping the benefits since!

p/s It takes some getting use to for me as I am not a touchy-feely person. I kept pushing her hands off me out of annoyance but later realise it kept coming back (because we trained them to, Ha!!) It is NOT hard for the kids, just a parental resolve. You decide who sets the rules and standards in your family, not the child! It won't happen overnight, but it will happen.