I believe in teaching life. One of the things I have started doing is assigning a child each day to do supper. This child is responsible for deciding what we will have, laying the meat out and making sure we have everything to make it. Yesterday MN was day. She debated and debated over what to fix. Ask everyone for input. Mom's input was, "It's not my day, not my problem!" So she finally decided on Steak fingers, gravy and corn. Sounds good to me.
She had dishes yesterday too. She HATES dishes. So she procrastinated. She wrote this really cute story on her computer, she drug her feet re-doing some school work. Finally mom lost it and she was told to get busy on dishes!
Since she drug her feet on dishes, when it came time to start supper she was still doing dishes. So we talked about how if she was the mom and what she would say to her DH when he came home, "Hi Honey, sorry supper isn't ready, but I wrote this really cute story." Hummmm she didn't think he would like that much. But "maybe" he would help her fix supper. I agreed, but pointed out maybe he had been working a very physically demanding job all day. "Then he would be tired." Or if she had small children crying at her feet as she fixed supper because they were hungry. "I'm sorry baby that you are hungry and supper isn't ready, but didn't you like the story mommy wrote you?" She didn't think the baby would be impressed with the story how ever good it was if it meant he didn't get to eat in a timely manor.
She has lost barn privileges for the week. She has gained dish privileges for the week. I hope this makes her think about choices more. She knew she would have consequences when she made the choices she did. She is shooting me daggers along this morning. I am so glad daggers don't hurt when they come out of her eyes.
S on the other hand has decided reading blogs over DIL's shoulder is MUCH more fun than doing her chores. She started her morning by picking up trash that she set out the door instead of taking it to the trash. She was reading blogs! So now she has lost the privilege of setting by the computer.
T was on a roll yesterday. She got in trouble for trashing the school room. Her reason, "I was to lazy to put stuff away right." So she got to clean it. This morning she decided to start her day on a different foot. She ask me to get her up when I got up. That was about 6 AM. By 7 she had today's school finished! She is quite proud of herself! Why oh why can't they see the joy of doing things right and do it right most of the time? She is busy finishing up her chores so she can "play" all day.
That leaves MJ to report on. He has been doing great! He is focused on getting things done and doing them to the best of his ability. Yea!
I know this to shall pass on all of them as they test and find the boundaries all are in place. The rules still apply and the consequences aren't fun.
LOL S came by read what I wrote and wasn't even mad :) She really does get she is in control and her choices do lead to consequences. They all get it. They may not LIKE it, but they get it. When they are making good choices they like it. It makes them proud.
Off to deal with life! All have a very blessed day!
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