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| Grant at 8 months old |
Anyone with children will tell you that you find yourself saying the same things over and over again. It is amazing how quickly they forget that "it's not okay to hit your sister" or "don't talk loudly while Mommy is on the phone". This "selective" memory is really funny to me. I am amazed when Cooper can tell me about going to visit Thomas the Tank Engine when he was 2 1/2, but he can't remember that we "don't stand on the furniture". Hmmm...
If you were a fly on my wall, these are some things you would hear me say all day.
1. "Stop screaming, your Dad is trying to work." (Nathan works from home)
2. "No you can't have a lollipop before you eat your dinner."
3. "Hands to yourself"
4. "Hitting is never okay for any reason."
5. "Clean up your toys when you are done playing with them."
6. "We don't throw food on the floor."
7. "Why are you crying?"
8. "Popcorn is not a meal."
9. "Take turns"
10. "Close the door so your sister doesn't play in the potty."
11. "When was the last time you went to the bathroom?"
12. "Wash your hands after going potty."
13. "Get your finger out of your nose."
14. "What's the problem now?"
15. "Don't touch your brother's bed, he is trying to sleep."
There are just a sampling. There are so many more :) Overall the kids do a pretty good job of getting along, they just need some reminding now and then.
I decided when I was working on Grant's scrapbook to do a page devoted to "The Progression of a Fit". I realized that I have so many great photos of them smiling for the camera. I need some real life ones too. The photo at the top shows Grant at 8 months as happy as can be smiling at the camera. The photos below happened within a matter of minutes. This just had to be documented.
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| And so it begins... |
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| Uh oh, I am about to hear all about it. |
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| And there you have it, he threw himself on the floor. |
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| A minute later, he found his sister's sippy cup & all is right in his world. |
What things do you find yourself repeating daily?
book, but I have read enough to get inspired. I decided that I probably can't schedule every 15 or 30 minutes of my life, but I can make a list of things that I expect the children to do each day. Last week, I made the chore chart you see above (sorry it is kind of light because it is in pencil). I was very impressed with how well we did using the chart. The kids get up every morning and look at the chart. Since we have not started school, they eat breakfast and then begin their jobs. Once school begins, they will eat breakfast, do school, eat lunch and then complete their jobs. If they complete all of their jobs, each one earns a little bit of money at the end of the month to spend as they wish (within reason of course). The rule is that there is no complaining and each job must be complete or a portion of their money is deducted. Of course I realize that with a family of 7, we have to be a bit flexible. We sometimes have a change in plans, so I am trying to be realistic. But at least, we will have a goal of what we would like to accomplish each day. Plus, I can no longer hear, "I didn't know you wanted me to pick up my toys, clean my room, etc.". Currently, Cooper has the most jobs and gets a little bit more money. Kindle has a few less than Cooper and Grant has a few basic things like picking up toys, helping with laundry, and cleaning his room. Celeste does "help" with cleaning up her toys, but realistically at 25 months her "help" sometimes actually creates more work for everyone else. But hey, you gotta start somewhere. 
