*Quack*
I have a few tantrum related stories that will come up later this week (If I get the time). Thought I would start with how I deal with tantrums.

Child related tantrums at casa Bison are usually sorted in a variety of ways, the usual ones where they are put on one of the many naughty steps in the house or sent to bed to cool down are the preferred method but there are a number of alternative options that will only be used when dad (me) is in a mood to really wind up said tantrum thrower and (In my opinion anyway) diffuses the situation a lot quicker.

My favorite one is the penguin button. I first get the attention of the child in question and then make a thumbs up gesture, and every time said tantrum throwing sprog does something they shouldn’t (i.e screams/flaps arms/stomps) I push my thumb down onto my balled up fingers (as if the hand contains a button) and make the noise of a penguin/duck (I will admit that I’m crap at animal noises). I also cannot keep a straight face while I’m doing this as the stupidity of it and the fact that the tantrum thrower seems to get more and more pissed off/confused just makes me laugh.

Example: Daughter is kicking off due to her brother refusing to let her use Batman and the Batmobile as a suitable date for her Hello Kitty* and has gone from 0 to volcano

Daughter: Grahhh ITS NOT FAIR!!!!!!
Mon: Quack
Daughter: RAGGGGHH (Flaps Arms)
Mon: Quack
Daughter: STOP IT!!!
Mon: Quack
Daughter: Mehh LEAVE ME ALONE, stops off upstairs
Mon (With every stomp): Quack, Quack, Quack
(Daughter goes to her bed by herself to cool down and dad plus siblings not involved all laugh out loud at stupidity of situation)

After a few times the kids see me making the gesture and automatically bugger off out of the way as they know what’s going to happen. I love being a dad.

*Actual argument that did happen- I walked in to see daughter screaming that she didn’t want to take hello kitty to fight the Joker and that J (My son) was being nasty as Batman would not batarang the waiter because he brought poisoned bread to the table.
(mon bison powered by magnets, Fri 20 Jul 2012, 13:30, 3 replies)

Clicked like a madman!!
I am going to try this!!! Might even see if it works with the wife!!
(the_icks has the sweet essence of giraffe, Fri 20 Jul 2012, 14:02, closed)

yep
using this tonight
(magic the cat will someone please think of the kittens, Fri 20 Jul 2012, 15:54, closed)

i give the kids a big spacker grin
it winds them up a treat and they storm off to their rooms. babysitting is great sometimes :)
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Sun 22 Jul 2012, 16:33, closed)