Bribes, Tricks, Threats and Follow Through

I am the worst when it comes to using bribes, threats and tricks to get my kids to do what I want. I was reminded of this last night when I read the story that Carter did for his homework.

Not one of my finer parenting moments but I had to follow through. It reminds me of the time my mom was driving all of us kids to my brother and sister's band concert and we were all fighting in the back seat. She said if we didn't stop she would turn the car around and we wouldn't go. My sister started freaking out and throwing a fit even though we kept telling her to just be quiet and my mom actually turned the car around. We missed their concert. I could not believe that my mom did that and I actually asked her about it as an adult. She told me she regretted saying it but she had to follow through. I totally get it now. I am the queen of making stupid threats in the heat of the moment and this was one of them. Carter was having a huge tantrum and kicking and throwing all of his toys so I told him if he threw it again I would throw it in the trash. He did. Dang it. So I took it and threw it in the recycling. After he went to bed I took it and hid it in storage and plan to give it to him for his birthday. I thought he had forgotten until I saw this story. Ouch.

I did have a win when I got so frustrated with the accidents that I made Carter write lines. He hated it!! He only had to do it 3 times total and now he has been accident free for 11 days! WHAT!!?? He is so excited that he is allowed to play wii now! I was surprised that it worked but I am not complaining.

Today I had a fun time trying to get Jude to eat his lunch. This is part of our conversation:

"Jude, take a bite like a doggie."

"No, like a dinosaur!"

Bite.

"Jude, take a bite like a reindeer."

"No, a snowman!"

"Ok, eat like a snowman!"

Bite.

Success.

This is what it looks like to eat like a snowman:

Apparently.

My purpose behind this post is to ask how you motivate your child to get the desired end result. What works? Any moments that you regretfully had to follow through with?

Stop the glorification of busy

Everyone knows I love keeping myself busy. So much so that I start to freak out because I've overbooked myself. Well, I dropped a class. Take that! Even with that I haven't blogged since January. Just shows you how often I get to sit down at the computer and actually type. Today was a rare day. Carter had his 100th day of kindergarten today so he went off to school looking like a dapper old man and Jude and I got ready and went to the store to do our grocery shopping. I feel super blessed that Jude spotted the only "car cart" at Whole Foods and was perfectly content to drive us around the store. He even was adorable and popped through the windshield to put his bunny fruit snacks on the conveyor belt when we got the register. We finished running our errands and I came home and did some chores (not many...) and played with my super happy little one. When Carter got home they played happily together for a bit which was nice and then I put them in front of separate movies and finished my report for my textiles class on a real life invisibility cloak. And yes. I did go there in my report. I'll always be a Potter nerd.

         Anyway, it was a busy but not busy day and it was perfectly fine. My house is not as sparkly as it was in the weeks before school started but I've managed to finish all of my homework before it's due AND had several people from my sewing class over for 3 hour blocks to help them with their homework. I'm busy enough. Now can someone please remind my brain of that. I'm sure I will take on more. I always do. So my question to all of you is why do we always insist on being so busy? I know with kids and school and work and what not we are naturally busy but it seems like I seek out things to fill my time if it's not already full. Do you do that too? I need to stop and smell the flowers once in a while. It seems like a kid snuggle is the only thing that can derail me from my hyper drive mode. Oh well. I survive.

Carter got a crown for 100th day so Jude needed one too.

In their presidents shirts for President's Day. They are getting so big. The shirts are the same size!!

At church being themselves. Can't tell you how much I love them kids.