It's amazing what one summer can do to you! I think the stress of everything that has gone on is catching up to me. The one thing I do have to say is that stairs in a house are a very good thing for someone who is trying to get off a few pounds. I'm starting to get back down to my comfortable area in weight. It's the laundry I have to do day in and day out...the washer and dryer are downstairs and all bedrooms are upstairs. Yikes.Also included is a picture of all the charts we've put together for the boys to remember our rules and rewards and consequences for breaking and/or keeping those rules.
The Strike is something just recently added. They get a strike when a tantrum (rolling eyes, stomping, slamming doors, mimicking, yelling back) occur when they are told to do something (or stop doing something). Once they have 3 strikes in 1 day they lose all priviledges for the rest of the day...TV, computer, playing with friends, video games, etc. It's not often that they have 3 strikes in one day, but it has happened. There are times we adjust the loss of items to longer than 1 day, depending on when the infraction occurred and how bad it was. This is something I learned from our own little town paper in a parenting advice column. It's something the Psychologist recommended doing, since it worked for him. It's helped a lot, and the boys like to see no strikes at the end of the day (as do we). With 4 boys in the house the craziness is enough to send a person over the edge. These rules help keep a bit more order to our crazy lives!
5 comments:
I have found more than a few white hairs myself! So, you are not alone. Your hair has grown out quite a bit- it looks cute!
I like the rewards/consequences system you have in place. Does it work even with Logan?! I am trying to figure out something for Avery, but with her being my oldest I don't know if she is old enough to really GET IT yet. Anyway, thanks for sharing your system!
I think if you modified it a bit with Avery it would work. Maybe make rewards simply a sticker or points to work up to going somewhere special with Paul or you, or both. We actually started out with just a sticker chart, but found the point system to be easier with so many children. When they "cash in" their rocks (substitute quarters) they use some for spending, put 10% to tithing, and most to savings...it's a good learning tool, too. Rewards for Avery making her bed, helping with laundry, helping with dishes, putting her toys away...those are all good things to instill even at her age. Logan totally gets the system here...you should try it!
We also have been using the strike system. They get stikes for rolling eyes, arguing, complaining, lack of respect ect...
One strike is a warning, two strikes, you go to your room until we are both calm enough to talk about it (I decide when that is). third strike, they are in their room the rest of the day (except bathroom and meals). It has worked well for us. We don'use a reward system, we do however do "praise time" after our nightly "scripture time" where we all say one nice thing about each person (something we liked that they did or something they helped us with just something good or nice) they LOVE that. It puts us all in a good mood too no matter the day we have had. A friend of mine has this saying above her door it says "Youth need fewer critics and more good role models." I love it and plan to make one at our super saturday this year--I need to look at it every day :0) Keep up the good work Alison:0)
The "strike" system is such a great idea! Perfect for a bunch of boys, too, I might add! Although, in our family, we'd probably have to call them "penalties" and lose priviledges after losing so many yards...haha:)
Typed it up today, we'll see how well it works on my guys :)
Miss you
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