Ironic statement: I tell my daughter not to give up while looking for the house key. But I am ready to throw in the proverbial towel in regards to my son who is pushing limits and my buttons. Ouch. No need for anyone to point out that to me...I read over my post and felt immediate conviction that I must find a way to push through.
I think I have. After another evening of arguments, backtalking, bullying of his little brother, I called BB to me and explained that his behavior is completely intolerable. I asked him if there is something going on inside him that he is bothered by and that he would like to talk about. He said he could not think of anything. Then I told him that as a consequence for his mouthy behavior and rotten attitude he would be spending at least the next day inside and that could be extended if his stinky attitude continued.
On Friday afternoon, I called home to talk to the kids and he told me that he was changing his attitude. And for the most part, he had. He was much more pleasant and less mouthy. I told him I would refrain from deciding about extending his grounding through Saturday until Saturday morning. I want the kids to do some cleaning up before they go play, so I will see how his change in attitude continues before issuing a verdict.
This particular consequence seems to work best for him. That and missing out on other activities. Last year, he missed out on going to the State Fair. He still talks about that and he is really looking forward to going this year.
Princess and the Key:
While we were settling down for bed, she says, "Mom, I think I might know where the key is..." She is going to look for it first thing on Saturday morning. This was a good opportunity to explain how sometimes when we get upset, we don't always think very clearly and when we relax, we may remember things we had forgotten.
I still think that this stage of parenting...which is kind of like being a Life Coach is really becoming my favorite.
No comments:
Post a Comment