Getting together a consistent discipline plan is hard for my family, sometimes we have been on the same page working as a team and sometimes we haven’t and it has showed in our son’s behavior. Other times, like now during summer, we have slacked off the normal routines – bedtime, food, amount of time playing something electronic (Wii, laptop, Lmax, TV etc) and it’s time to right the ship a tad.
Today my husband and I presented our son with a new behavioral chart. On it is 4 key behaviors he needs to work on and 3 opportunities to earn a checkmark throughout the day for a maximum of 12 points a day. Points can be traded in at the end of the day for 30 minutes of something electronic, or something else small or they can be banked for something bigger –like a trip to Chuck E Cheese (really in my mind that should need about 1 billion points thank you very much) or a coveted transformer, or something he can save for in few days like Pokeman cards (which another side…dang those buggers are expensive!)The saving aspect helps to teach him that not everything is immediate as well as an elementary level money management –saving versus spending.
We have also revisited 1-2-3 Magic which is a good book about beahvior/redirection/discipline and can be found at Bellani. Just be dusting that book off and being more consistent with our language around discipline I have seen things swing toward the positive. At least I am calmer which half the battle is sometimes. I am not a saint and sometimes I just lose my cool with the kids, feeling guilty for days after it happens. I am not a perfect parent, and heck I don’t even play one on TV. This parenting thing is tough and just when you think you got it down there is a new twist…sort of like Survivor without the million dollar prize at the end.
I scored some behavioral charts off the web at http://www.FreeBehavioralCharts.com which makes me giggle and think of those credit report commercials every time I say it.
So how do you manage discipline and redirection in your house? I am dying for ideas especially surrounding a willful almost two year old princess….
-Stacey
