Oh the joy of whiny days...

Every parent encounters them.

Some parents are blessed with fewer than other parents.

Whiny days - they happen to even the most experienced parent.

The key to eliminating the Whiny Day when it first begins in to know how to deal with whatever issues may be causing your Whiny Day.

Whiny Days are as different as children and have various causes and resolutions. Some Whiny Days are easy to cure and others turn out to be an all day event (like today at my house, where absolutely NOTHING has worked to put an end to the Whinies - not even CHOCOLATE).
If you happen to be lucky enough to determine what is causing your Whiny Day, then you may be able to put an end to the Whinies much quicker.

SLEEP

Whiny Days are most often caused by sleepy children. Children who fail to acquire enough sleep are inevitably too tired to enjoy their day, and yet too darn stubborn to succumb to the beckoning of the bed. Children are, after all, allergic to sleep and will employ whatever means necessary to avoid the dreaded nap.

SICKNESS

Sleep is not always the culprit, though. If you are certain that your child has received an adequate level of sleep and the Whinies are still attacking, then you should consider the possibility that your child is beginning to get sick. If your child does not feel well, then she will be whiny. This is particularly true for the younger child who is incapable of expressing her feelings with an appropriate level of words. Instead, she whines.


TLC

So if you rule out sleep, and you feel your child is not sick, then what else is there? Perhaps your child is simply in need of some extra love and attention. An extra half hour of sitting in your lap doing nothing but snuggling may cure the Whinies. Snuggling almost always cures the ails of any child.

HUNGER

But then what happens if you have managed to reach this point and your child is STILL whiny? What is a parent to do when the child is not sleepy, sick, or in need of attention?

Consider the possibility that your child may be encountering a growth spurt which requires extra food. Growth spurts typically make a child extra hungry. Providing them with extra food may help alleviate some of their discomfort.

OTHER

Perhaps you have made the previously mentioned assessments and still have not figured out what is causing your Whiny Day or how to fix it. I have come across a few activities that almost always work to put an end to the Whinies early in the day, leaving me to have a peaceful and happy afternoon. (Not today, of course. My monsters -ahem, angels - decided very early that today would be a Whiny Day all day.)

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WATER PLAY - Set your child up with a few bowls of water and some spoons and measuring cups. This is a good activity to set up in the driveway or on the deck. (Of course, this only works when the temperature is above 65 because you can't really send a child out to play in water when it's 50 degrees outside --- LIKE TODAY)

THE TENT - Tents will usually work to entertain even the whiniest child. You can use sheets and chairs to create a tent that your children will enjoy hiding under and eating under and if you're really lucky then your children will enjoy sleeping inside the tent, too. (My children are on to my tricks here and even the mention of a tent to day was met with hostile glares of understanding.)

THE BATH - Bath time usually causes laughs and giggles to erupt even from whiny children. Just mix a few toys with a couple of whiny babies and, VOILA!, no more Whinies. (Unfortunately for me, the gas company felt the need to disconnect my gas this morning even though I paid them on Friday. Seeing how Friday was a holiday, no payments were actually processed. No gas means no hot water. No hot water means no bath.)

THE TELEVISION - Usually, a few well chosen movies can be used to bribe a whiny child into a bit of peaceful quiet. It is a good idea to have a small selection of movies that are only brought out on the occasions when bribing is most needed. (Again, my kids are wise beyond their years and have refused the allure of the most wonderful programming available to man-kind.)

THE PLAYGROUND - Physical activity is almost always a good option for distracting a child that is determined to engage in the Whinies. Playgrounds are wonderful places to visit on days that are proving to be Whiny Days. If your neighborhood has a good playground, use it. (Yeah, did I mention that it never got above 50 degrees today and even SNOWED for a short while?)

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If you find yourself encompassed in a perpetual Whiny Day, sometimes the best thing to do is just give in. Allow your child the freedom to whine while you indulge in your favorite drink and treat yourself to your favorite chocolaty treat. Wait for reinforcements to arrive and then run for cover, leaving your reinforcement to find their own method of fighting through the Whinies.



Or, there's always duct tape...

This photograph was borrowed from here. It wasn't me.....though the thought may have occurred a time or two today.