1. Criss Cross Applesause- this is the new saying for crossing your legs since Indian style is no longer appropriate.
2. Pop a Marshmallow- This is what I read on Class Dojo and it made me laugh and questio
n it. Pop a Marshmallow means to be quiet. The kids are supposed to pretend that a marshmallow is in their mouth.3. Pop a Bubble- The teacher said it means the same thing, but she thinks she'll change it to this since the kids were getting hungry when she asked them to pop a marshmallow.
4. Just one drop, then you stop!- I heard my daughter say this yesterday morning. In this sense, it applied to her gluing some letters to her homework. I wish that this was a saying when I was in school, because I'm pretty sure I used more glue than I should have. Maybe there's also a saying about not putting glue on your hands and waiting for them to dry before peeling the glue off.
5. Hocus Pocus, Everybody Focus- I asked some of my teacher friends which sayings they tell their kids. One gave me a few sayings for pay attention. This is one of them.
6. Scooby, Scooby Doo, Where are you?- This is another way to say pay attention or to get them to stop what they are doing and to get to where they need to go.
7. 1, 2, 3, Eyes on Me.... 1, 2 Eyes On You- This saying is to get the kids to focus on you and the second part is to get them to mind their business, but essentially, calm down and listen!
8. Walking Feet- This saying is meant to have the kids walk nicely and not stomp or run around.
9. Hugs and Bubbles- Keep your hands to yourself and keep quiet. This one is used when in the hallway and traveling to the next destination.
10. Mona Lisa- This is to get the kids to sit still with their hands on their laps and mouths shut just like the painting of the Mona Lisa.
I'm a parent who yells first and then ask questions later. I know that the words I say can hurt my children's feelings. These sayings are so nice. It gets our kids to do the action we need them to do and you can't say them harshly. Now, whether or not my kids can hear me, that will be a test to tell, but they're better than the alternative to yelling at them to shut up. Besides, the teachers ingrain these sayings into our children's brains, so if we can learn them, then maybe there won't be a fight to get them to calm down.
Do you have any little sayings you tell your children? What do you use? What's your favorite?
I have heard most of these before. When I worked in the Pre-K room at church, we used the 1,2,3 eyes on me...A LOT!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely have no objections to the hocus pocus phrase, although you had mentioned that "Indian style" is no longer politically correct; I'm wondering how long before Mrs. Teach has to change that one? Silly, but I'm sure someone will have a witch-phobia and demand it changed. Great list by the way.
You're absolutely right! It would be nice to live in a world where people didn't hyper focus and object to every little thing.
DeleteThe other day I needed my boys to sit on the floor and I told them to sit Indian style and they look at me like I commited a sin. We live in a town where it is over 25% native Americans.
ReplyDeleteOh no! Haha. What does is mean if that made me chuckle?
DeleteLove Love these tips. I use a few of them. But I am not going to use the rest with my toddler.
ReplyDeleteI need to find sayings to get my kids to go to bed when they're supposed to.
DeleteThese are so fun!!! Criss cross applesauce is the only one I'd heard before, learned that from my son's pre-K teachers (I shudder at what we called it when I was a child!). LOVE the hocus pocus everybody focus one, going to try that one with my 3 littles tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteI loke the Mona Lisa. I wonder if I can get my kids to accept it as a challenge.
Deletethese are great tips. Don't have kids now, but surely in future, will come in handy.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteHow interesting, this. Is the first time I have come across such sayings.
ReplyDeleteMany are used all the time in school.
DeleteAnne W. had some great ones she used in children's church ... wish I could remember them!
ReplyDeleteOne I used with my kids and still use today is, "Look with your eyes, not your fingers." when we were in stores, museums, historical homes, etc where there was 'no touching'.
That's one I should definitely use with my kids. They do first then reap the consequences later.
DeleteThese are all so cute and honestly I've never heard of any of these. The hugs and bubbles has to be my favorite though.
ReplyDeleteThese are much more kid friendly.
DeleteThese are awesome. I've never heard of them. I'm going to show them to my kids and see if they know.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter shares most of them with me because she likes them and she always gets good reviews from her teachers when she follows directions.
DeleteThese are interesting. Never heard most of them... but maybe I was too busy talking??? Lol
ReplyDeleteI don't remember most of them, so these must be newer, but then again, maybe I was talking too much, too.
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