Any honest parent will tell you that children are going to have those days where they can't seem to stay out of anything.
The stars align in a certain way, the moon is in a prime position, and those kids are magnetized straight to the things that they absolutely have no business messing with, touching, or playing with.
But one mom on TikTok, @Kelsewhatelse, shared a tip that encourages children to leave the things that are not play things alone. She calls these tips "Parenting Magic Phrases," and this particular phrase is called "Working Rocks."
Long story short, the TikToker reminds her children that we all have our jobs to do, as do the rocks outside. When she sees them playing with rocks that they shouldn't be playing with, or worse, she sees them start to throw the rocks, she reminds them that those rocks are working—and when they mess with those rocks, they're stopping them from being able to fulfill their duties.
She loves using the word "working" because she can apply it to anything and set a healthy boundary for her children.
For instance, a "working caution sign" is doing the job of stopping people from falling on a wet floor, so it shouldn't be moved, or the "working button" in a public space is doing its job, and if someone pushes it, it could be stopped from doing its work.
And the result of the phrase is nothing short of magical.
You can watch the video here:
The video quickly garnered over 690,000 views on TikTok as fellow parents and guardians ate up her concept of "working rocks." Not only did they identify with her core concern, but they found her idea to be a potential game-changer with their kids.
Fellow TikTokers loved this hack and also how the mom broached the subjects of work and respect.
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
@kelsewhatelse/TikTok
The TikToker also explained in the caption that there are ways to customize the concept for different kids as well.
"I tell my kids that some rocks are working rocks, or working flowers, or working buttons when I need them to be hands-off."
"In the case of the rocks and the video, I don't mind my kids playing with these rocks but they really shouldn't be throwing them into the grass because those rocks have a job to do! They need to stay on the path."
"And let's say we're visiting a botanical garden, while I allow my children to pick wildflowers at home, these are working flowers. They have a job to do so we're going to leave them alone."
"It's hard for kids to differentiate between what is off limits and what is within the limits of play, so I find that using the word 'working' helps them understand what items have jobs and what items don't have jobs."
"Using this method also opens up a lot of great discussions about what the intended purpose for some items are."
She added:
"I originally got this idea while I was explaining to my son why he shouldn't ask to pet a companion or assistance dog. I explained that the dog had a job to do and that they were a working dog, and that we didn't want to distract them from their important job."
"My son got it so quickly and from then on would easily understand the difference between a working dog and a pet dog."
"I then started applying the word 'working' to other things and it has worked like magic! It saves a lot of frustration on both ends because my son knows that I'm not saying no just to say no."
The TikToker mom has since shared other Parenting Magic Phrases, and the responses from viewers have been similarly swift and passionate as this one.
It's clear that this TikToker has a lot of great ideas for the worlds of mothering, parenting, and teaching—and with her creating a safe space for fellow parents to share their pain points, it seems a no-brainer to sit in and listen to her other "working" concepts.
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