Welcome to new look Mumii, the woman's magazine for every mum out there.
Mumii 8
Do you argue with your children?
Apparently this is completely normal and we don’t need to worry!
Lots of us have ‘arguments’ with our children. It is common place in many households. Researchers conducting a survey with the parents of children aged between one and ten, found that over a quarter of these households were ruled by the children.
TOP 50 BATTLES PARENTS FACE
1. Getting them into bed on time without a fight
2. Asking them to help clean a mess they’ve made
3. When they want more treats
4. Persuading them to take their medicine
5. Getting them to stay in bed once you’ve got them in
6. Getting them to brush their teeth
7. Persuading them to eat their vegetables
8. Getting them to stay in bed after 5am despite the sun being up
9. Asking them to tidy their room
10. Getting them to eat the same meal as the rest of the family
11. Getting them to eat a whole plate of dinner
12. Asking them to open their mouth for the dentist
13. When they want to buy something from the shop
14. Putting rubbish in the bin
15. Them refusing to eat the meal they’ve been served
16. Getting them to cut their food properly using a knife and fork
17. When they want sweets or treats between meals
18. Stopping them from jumping all over the sofas
19. Getting them to stop fighting with a sibling
20. Encouraging them to sit nicely at the table to eat
21. Asking them to acknowledge adults when they say hello
22. Simply getting them out the door on time in the morning
23. Asking them to do their homework without whining
24. Getting them dressed into an appropriate outfit rather than something
they insist on wearing
25. Getting them to stop nagging for dessert before everyone at the table
has finished their main course
26. Getting them into the bath
27. Getting them to go to the toilet before you go out somewhere
28. Trying to get them to listen to you rather than the television
29. Asking them to take their toys out of the living room
30. Getting them to say please and thank you
31. Wiping / cleaning their faces
32. Trying to get them out of a soft play or park to go home
33. Asking them to get off a computer or games console
34. Stopping a fight between siblings on a car journey
35. Encouraging your child to do what they want when they are ill
36. Getting them to smile in a photo
37. Making them wear a hat in the sunshine
38. When they change their mind about what they want for breakfast
39. Asking them to eat fruit
40. Encouraging them to help out around the house
41. Persuading them to leave a toy at home when leaving the house
42. Putting a coat on when it’s cold
43. Encouraging them to go to the doctor
44. Stopping them from picking their nose
45. Stopping them from pouring too much ketchup/ salt etc
46. Getting them to behave at the opticians
47. Putting suntan lotion on in the summer
48. Dragging them to the opticians
49. When they fight over having a specific plate, cup of cutlery
50. Eat the crust of their bread
98 battles a week, that’s the average number of battles Mums and Dads have to deal with according to the survey. Yay for parents! The research did show that parents win the majority of conflicts, with children only winning 18 out of the 98.
However, 60 per cent of parents felt they were driven to despair when their children throw a tantrum each time they don’t get their own way. Half of the parents surveyed said that they found it hard to be consistent and remain strict and said they often just ‘give-in’ for an easy life.
The research was commissioned by Sight Care, a support network for independent opticians, in collaboration with sponsors Johnson & Johnson Vision Care. This was to celebrate Community Opticians Day, which took place on Saturday 6th September. It celebrated local communities and the high street, and encouraged families to support their local independent optician.
After surveying 2,000 parents, 33% said that going to the opticians is a particularly hard battle they face with the kids.
Paul Surridge, Chief Executive of Sight Care said: ‘Parents clearly have a lot of work on their hands, and we can sympathise with this. Most kids try their luck and many parents will be used to continually telling their children to put stuff back or to stop doing this or that.’
‘And it’s not surprising that many parents may dread going to appointments with the optician or similar in case their child misbehaves – it’s almost a necessary evil.’
‘But one third of parents have noticed their child struggling to read or write because of their eyes, and a huge 47 per cent said their child’s concentration levels improved as a result of having treatment for their eyesight such as getting glasses, contact lenses or a change in prescription.’
‘So it’s encouraged to persuade children to go – even if it does start World War Three. Visiting the opticians needn’t be a battle parents have to face. Opticians are used to working with children, so there is no need for parents to worry about whether or not they misbehave.’
‘Our eyesight is incredibly important, and our research shows that a third of parents don’t know that their child’s eyes should be tested annually. So we hope this reminds parents of the value of a family optician.’
To help parents win this battle, Sight Care and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care are offering them the chance to win a Merlin Entertainment annual family pass if they book an eye appointment at one of Sight Care’s independent opticians during the month of September. Surely this will help parents to persuade children to have their eyes tested?
To find your local independent optician visit: www.sightcarelocal.co.uk
Do you have regular ‘battles’ with your children? Is having their sight tested one of them?
