You Pinspire Me
One of my least favourite parenting responsibilities is settling one of the kids’ arguments by making the decision of who gets to do what first / last / whatever.
I have enough decisions to make every day about things that actually matter and I JUST CAN’T EVEN with the “who gets to brush their teeth first or carry the book home from the library” dilemmas. I delegate someone and then I hear complaints for the next five minutes about it. ugh.
When I was in elementary school, my brother and I would head outside after dinner with the other neighbour kids, strike up an epic game of Man Hunt that lasted long after the streetlights turned on. The way we settled who was up was how we settled everything – everyone put your dukes in! Inky Pinky Ponky, Daddy bought a donkey. Donkey died, daddy cried, Inky Pinky Ponky. No arguments – the decision is made by chance. You can’t argue with that anymore than you can argue with the results of Eeny Meeny Miny Moe.
I started settling arguments with Inky Pinky Ponky with the kids about a year ago, and shockingly, it works perfectly with both of them. They accept the decision of Inky more readily than they have ever accepted MY decision. Here’s a little secret – since I’ve done it sooo many times, I know who is going to be chosen depending on which person I start the rhyme on. The kids haven’t figured that one out quite yet. shhhhhh.
I feel like the only time the kids can ever agree on anything is when the TV is turned on. What to watch? What else? PAW PATROL! That is, until two months ago when the boy decided that he was now Too Grown Up to watch PAW Patrol anymore, and thus began the TV chapter of sibling squabbles.
Moooooom, I want to watch Justin Time, but Anneke won’t stop saying, “PAW PATROL! PAW PATROL! PAW PATROL!”
I’ve been wondering lately if Netflix turns on the mic on the iPad when we launch the Netflix app, because I just got an email from them with this ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC Wheel of Destiny. Ok, I made that name up. Netflix just calls it The Spinner.
So you print it out from this here PDF – it works best if you print it in colour on white cardstock.
Have the kids list their top 8 shows – so for us, I let each kid choose 4. PAW Patrol made it in there more than once because, you know, PAW PATROL!! We just wrote in a bunch of ours on the spare circles.
In order to avoid the argument about who gets to spin the Wheel of Destiny, I claim that as my responsibility. The Wheel chooses the show, and they head off to Netflix in peace together. Relief, sweet, blessed relief.
Apparently I don’t take pictures of my kids watching TV… I had to go all the way back to Christmas for this one!
One show that they can ALMOST ALWAYS agree on these days, which I ALSO love, is Julie’s Greenroom. H-man has even decided that he might want to take dance class with his sister in the fall because one of the BEST DANCERS IN THE WORLD came to visit the kids in this show and it was a BOY! I absolutely love shows like this that encourage my kiddos to think outside of their normal comfort zone. Plus, Julie Andrews. Need I say more?
Disclaimer: we’re members of the Netflix StreamTeam, and as such, we do get special perks – like fun events and the occasional mailer. All of our opinions, however, are entirely our own, and our love for Netflix will long outlast our Ambassadorship (may it never come to an end).
Jenn vanOosten
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