I am constantly making the kids ask me for things over and over until they can do it in a kind voice. Like....'Moooooo-oooomm, but I WANTED THAT!!!'....is not going to cut it. And they are asked to try it again with kind words.
But that does get tiresome. Especially with Tessa who is becoming more independent and knows hows she wants things to go. That's fine. But don't whine about it or Mommy's head might explode. I told Jeremy it seems our house had a problem....too much whining during the day and too much wine-ing at night after the kids go to bed.
So at the suggestion of my friend who I will call Supermom (because she has five kids remains one of the more positive people I know), we started some 'Happy Heart Jars' to keep things in check. So far the kids are REALLY responding to this idea. Thank you Jesus, cause I was starting to run out of creative ways to tell a kid to put a sock in it.
So the idea here is simple. We have little jars and we have lima beans. If the kids obey what they are told and do what they are asked to do without whining or complaining, they get a bean! If they whine, complain or fight, they lose a bean.
When the bean jars are full they get to pick their own special event or treat. Charley wants to go to the movie theater, Tessa (who changes her mind everyday) want some of the new girly legos...or a fish...or a trip to the zoo....or Disneyworld. Ahem, you're going to need a bigger jar sister.
Charley has lost a couple of beans for whining, or for times like this morning when he refused to eat what we gave him for breakfast. And losing a bean makes him flip his gourd. He just cried and cried. And even though he was screaming his face off, my heart warmed a bit.
Ah, the sounds of effective discipline.
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