While Deepak Chopra and other self-help, life enhancing, life coaches may have made millions writing about 7 types of habits, I thought I’d throw in my two bits worth. Of course I don’t expect to be paid in millions for this though if the boss is so inclined who am I to say anything? So anyway, kids do and say the darndest things; I’d know. I’m a Mum of two gorgeous kids but they do puzzle me with their peculiar habits sometimes.

Peculiar Habit 1:

Kids have it in their DNA to hate vegetables. Are we in agreement with this? Yes? Good. I’m trying to ascertain this because my daughter was all of five and a half and came home from school one fine day and tearfully asked me to write in her school diary to let the teacher know that she is ‘allergic’ to vegetables. Then a few months ago they started playing mind games with me. Both my kids asked me to make them broccoli. I strongly felt I needed medical attention and the services of a counsellor for a month to get over this shock. I know for a fact kids would rather eat booger than broccoli so you can understand why I got shook up with this.

Peculiar Habit 2:

Examining their potty with great curiosity is another peculiar habit. My son, when being trained to use the loo would not allow me to flush the toilet until he had carefully examined the contents. Disgusting…! I’d have to stand there and indulge and some days he would ask me to look and explain why it was a different colour. Ewww!! I was just glad he suddenly ‘grew up’ and didn’t need Mummy to supervise him going to the toilet. This story has been filed away in my head. All Mummies have embarrassing stories about their kids. This one’s mine for my son.

Peculiar Habit 3:

‘Muuuuum…. can I have this?’ First things first, it’s not ‘can I’ it’s ‘may I’. So we go back to the correct grammar and I am asked again, ‘Muuuuum….. MAY I have this?’ If my kids were smart, they’d have sussed out by now that making them ask again is usually a stalling tactic and the answer is going to be a resounding NO. Eventually the kids did catch on and very politely agree with me if I say no to something. I always try and give them a reason why because kids also have the right to as ‘Why not?’

Peculiar Habit 4:

Sticky fingers syndrome happens to all kids at one point or another. It doesn’t matter how perfect your upbringing of them may be. At some point you will find something in your kid’s possession that was certainly not given by you. My son brought home his cousin’s little matchbox car once without asking his cousin or his Godmother whose house he had gone to stay at. He had to stand in the ‘naughty corner’ and think about his actions. He very tearfully apologised and returned the car and also promised to give one of his favourite cars to his cousin as an apology. Sticky fingers also extend to the cookie jar and the most common phrase to be heard is, ‘I didn’t do that!’ and it’s usually followed by the sibling’s name to blame them instead.

Peculiar Habit 5:

Lying down on the ground in a screaming fit especially in a crowded supermarket wanting something is another habit. My daughter spoilt me as a Mum. She was a perfect little girl who never bothered me at all and then came along my son. I made the mistake of taking him to Nakumatt when he was 2. He wanted to use his own little trolley which I gladly allowed because it would be a learning experience. Then he started putting in everything and when i dared stop him he started screaming and lay down on the floor and started kicking his feet around. My eyes widened in horror not knowing how to deal with this so i calmly just walked away from him and pretended he was someone else’s kid! After that, I decided he could go into Nakumatt with me when he’s 16.

Peculiar Habit 6:

Saying things they shouldn’t be is actually, if you think about it, not that peculiar. ‘Mum why is auntie having more and more cake? Weren’t you saying she’s too fat and needs to lose weight?’ I’ll say no more. This is when you wish the ground would open up and swallow you…

Peculiar Habit 7:

Getting on with anyone without distrust is an admirable yet peculiar habit. How do they do it? We all probably did it as kids too. So when did we stop trusting and start distrusting…? Aaaah….. to be a child again and to indulge in these peculiar habits.