That question has been asked of me by a number of parents over the years. They let me know before leaving that little Johnny or Sue isn’t down with eating anything right now. They simply throw their food everywhere. Or I’ll hear that little Oscar or Ashley is very into telling adults no and that I shouldn’t be surprised if I have a little fight on my hands when it’s time to…go to the library, get ready for bed, or eat lunch.

Sometimes miraculously, sometimes not, when these parents get home from wherever, I’ll give them the report and they’ll come to find that there were no problems at mealtime or that our outing went smoothly or that bedtime was a breeze. And the question comes. How did you do it?

Parents and sitters are different, I know, but the techniques that make looking after kids a success can be applied by anyone. There should be little mystery in how to make your child behave, listen or be polite. Yet, there seems to be in many cases. Maybe a blog of kid filled anecdotes is one way to take some of the mystery out.