When Timothy’s approached me to share a “You Can Handle It” victory, so many moments came to mind. I mean, as a parent, where do you even start? Any parent knows daily life with a child is filled with moments where you pause, take a deep breath, sip coffee, and move forward. These are the little moments that Timothy’s wants to celebrate and remind you that Timothy’s coffee is the honest and the supportive sidekick in your life.
Okay, so what is my moment? Well, with the weather changing rapidly in the past month, I am quickly reminded of a struggle that pops up every year — “The Great Mittens Battle.”
You know, the kind of approach most toddlers are known for. (Side Note: did you roll your eyes like I did?)
My son, Benjamin, is three and a half now and is just starting to understand how the seasons change and how we need to dress differently depending on the weather. However, in Calgary, we don’t get the luxury of a drawn-out temperature change. Often, the weather goes from plus fifteen to minus fifteen, and back to plus fifteen in only a few days.
It’s these sorts of rapid weather changes that require an easy-going and fluid approach to wardrobe changes. You know, the kind of approach most toddlers are known for. (Side Note: did you roll your eyes like I did?)
I mean, I get it. In Benjamin’s mind, it must be baffling how one day our indoor and outdoor clothes are the same, and the next day, it’s jackets, pants, toques, and of course, the dreaded mittens.
Now you’re probably wondering, what’s the big deal with the mittens anyway? For the most part, I’d agree with you. What IS the big deal with them? You put them on, and they keep your hands warm. But, that’s not how a toddler sees them.
To a toddler, mittens are a very unique form of prison. They take time to put on, require some coordination to line up the thumb. They make it harder to grab toys outside and harder to navigate the play structures at the playground.
Thankfully Canada has eight months of winter a year, so I’ve started to recognize some predictable stages of “The Great Mittens Battle.”
So now, I’d like to share these stages with you and highlight the key moments where taking a moment to enjoy a good-tasting sip of Timothy’s coffee will remind you that #YouCanHandleIt.
Stage One: The preemptive warning
When dealing with a toddler, it’s essential to warn them of what’s to come. The comments usually start in the morning. “Hey, Benjamin. The weather is pretty cold today. If we are going to the park, we better wear our mittens.” And, “our mittens keep our hands warm, so we don’t get frostbite.”
Benjamin usually follows up with a valid rebuttal of why he doesn’t want to wear his mittens, such as, “I don’t want to wear my mittens,” or, “I won’t get frostbite.”
At this point, stage one is complete. It’s tempting to continue down the endless back and forth about frostbite and mittens. However, your time is better served by simply leaving the conversation and having your first cup of Timothy’s coffee.
Stage Two: Getting the mittens on
Now that you’ve preemptively warned your child that you’ll need mittens to go to the park, it’s time to get those mittens on.
I like to model the behaviours that I’d like Benjamin to have. So that means, I will put on all my warm, outside, clothes so that Benjamin sees they are necessary. Of course, the downside of this is that I will be wearing these blistering hot clothes inside the house for the next 15 minutes.
With my outside clothes on, I will say, “alright, Benjamin, let’s put our mittens on and go to the park.” To which he’ll reply, “I don’t want to wear my mittens.” To which I’ll answer, “I’m not going to ask you again, if you don’t put them on, we’re not going to the park.” This is an empty threat because the thought of being inside all day with a hyper toddler is unbearable.
If he still refuses to wear the mittens after the empty threat. I’ll encourage him to walk onto the porch and touch the railing to see that it is cold on his hands. And, six times out of ten, this is enough to convince him that the mittens are necessary.
Stage Three: The park struggle
With the mittens on and thermos full of Timothy’s coffee, we’ll head to the park.
After playing for a while, mitten frustration starts setting in. Benjamin will try to do his usual park things. Like, pick up sticks, climb the structures, and play with the toys. But he soon realizes that these things are difficult with mittens on.
He’ll ask, “can I take my mittens off?” I’ll answer, “if you take them off, your hands will be cold and get itchy from frostbite.” Benjamin will now say something undeniably logical, like, “no they won’t.”
As Benjamin takes his mittens off, the countdown begins. It’s only a matter of time until Benjamin tells me that he wants to go home because his hands are cold. So, I sit back, take a sip of my Timothy’s coffee, and enjoy the last few minutes.
Stage Four: I want to go home
Don’t act surprised; we all knew it was coming. Benjamin plays without his mittens for a few minutes and then says, “my hands are cold; let’s go home.”
I, of course, agree to go. Because it is cold, and I’ve run out of coffee so, we walk home. While we walk, I take joy in knowing that it might have taken 20 minutes to convince Benjamin to put his mittens on, but we spent 45 minutes at the park. And to me, that is a significant parent victory.
I also know that when we get home. I’ll refill my cup again with more Timothy’s Coffee, warm my hands and spirit and get ready for the same battles tomorrow. But I know that I’ll succeed again, because with Timothy’s as your trusted parenting sidekick #YouCanHandleIt.
If you want to see what Timothy’s blends I’ve been brewing see here. They are available in K-Cup pods, so I can brew them at home in my Keurig coffee maker and avoid putting on mittens to go outside and buy a coffee.