Every parent realizes it. One of the most stressful times for moms is loading and unloading the car in a parking lot…especially when you have more than one young child!
We were introduced to the concept of training our children to put their hands on the car while in busy parking lots by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo in the “Toddlerhood Transitions” video series. Putting a magnet on the car gives the children a direct place to put their hands making the instruction very concrete rather than an abstract instructions to “stand still” or “don’t move.” Really, what do those words mean to a toddler anyway?!
I had envisioned finding cute magnets such as cars or trains to use but had a very hard time finding magnets that were bigger than 3 inches then I stumbled on Parking Pals! All the younger boys received one in their Easter basket that year.
Let the training begin…
A tool is only as good as the training in using it (and the parental resolve)! We practiced loading and unloading the van in our driveway and communicating expectations. They all learned what “hands on car” means. Obedience was not an option. Mom’s resolve was strong and it was strong because of their safety.
Even the littlest one got the hang of it! Though I still have to watch him like a hawk, the Parking Pal magnets have been a great stress relief!