Voices - Day 2 - Kid Herding Voice

Someone once said that getting children to move somewhere as a group was like herding cats.

I have cats. They do not herd.

Neither do children!

This little fact can be both entertaining and annoying depending on the amount of time I have to get somewhere.

Since this is a MOPS morning, it brings to mind the times when I had three little ankle biters to get to MOPS by 9:00AM.

9:00AM is not that early, especially if you consider that I got up at 6:00 to begin the whole process. Three hours should be plenty of time to get everyone fed, dressed, groomed, and out the door.

But it wasn't. At least not all of the time.

Kids do not move like adults. They are easily distracted (so is DadOf3, but that is another story), they like to take their time, and hurrying them along actually has the opposite affect on them.

My oldest was 3 1/2 when my youngest was born. She was still in that toddler/pre-schooler age of independence. She had to do everything by herself and if I even attempted to help her, she had to put things back just as they were and repeat the process her way.

Forget about rushing her. The more I pushed, the more she would resist.

This is where Mommy Imagination comes into play.

Herding Mommy Voice: Come on, Princess! It is a MOPS Friday! Let me help you with your cereal so we can go!

Princess: No! I can do it by myself.

Herding Mommy Voice: I am going to eat it all because it looks YUMMY!

Princess: No no no! It's mine!

(And Princess proceeds to eat her breakfast.)

Herding Mommy Voice: Now let's go potty!

Princess: No! I don't have any potty in me!

Herding Mommy Voice: Well, let's have a race then and see who can go potty faster. You go in that potty and I will go in my potty. Ready. Set. GO!

(And Princess proceeds to go potty, happily beating mommy in the race.)

Herding Mommy Voice: Well, it is time to get in Otis the van!

Princess: NO! I don't WANT to go to MOPS!

Herding Mommy Voice: Well, I guess Prince and Knight are going to get buckled up first and win!

Princess: No!! I want to get in first.

(And Princess proceeds to the van, gets in and gets buckled before the boys.)

Child herding is not for the faint of heart! But if you have the right tone in your voice, it can be done!


Written for NaBloPoMo's Month of Voices!