This week, we are concentrating on table manners.
My guess is that S & K have had to fend for themselves when it comes to food, as evidenced by the fact that the table, their plate, the rug, their shirt, and eyebrows/hairline are all covered in bits of food after dinner. They tended to eat with their fingers or somewhat with a fork while back shoveling the rest of the food with their hands.
I've promised them that if they work on using their fork, not their fingers, not talking with their mouth open, not sliding off their chair under the table, not trying to leave the table as soon as they are done instead of waiting for everyone else, not showing their mastery of noisy bodily functions at the dinner table, etc....that we will be to a REAL restaurant (so far, the only request has been McDonalds...repeatedly...if I never see a golden arch again, it will be too soon) with menus, and trays, and waitresses, and everything.
And as for Darren, well, he's feeling the full effects of a house full of women. Someone please send him a blow torch or chain saw before the last bit of testosterone flees from him.
1 comment:
Hey--Heather here...here is another incentive thing that seems to work well for us--the nickel bucket. We have been using this for a while and it seems to promote positive behavior in our yunkins'...
Each child starts the month with a bucket of nickels equalling $5--Dave and I also have a shared bucket of $5 of nickels. To reinforce positive behavior (i.e. good table manners if there is something specific we are trying to work on, obeying the first time with joy and not a begrudging spirit, caught being nice to your sibling, cleaning up something without being asked, etc, etc), we deposit 1-5 nickels (totally subjectively) from the parent bucket into the said child's bucket. We don't do it all of the time where they expect a reward--we tell them that we can tell when they are doing it just for nickels and when they are doing it from the heart, so we as the parents will decide when the nickels get deposited and that they cannot ask for nickels to be deposited. :)
We try to catch them being good especially when there is something specific we are working on with that particular child.
On the other hand, if we see behavior that is not acceptable (dishonesty, fighting, talking back, bad manners at the table, not obeying the first time, etc), we will take nickels away from their bucket and put it into our bucket. (Believe me, when they hear the dropping of nickels one by one into our bucket, it PAINS them!)
At the end of the month, they count out their nickels and we pay them the money equalling whatever is in their bucket and then start again the next month with $5 bucks. They can choose to spend it or save it to add onto the next month's money for something bigger if they choose.
This really has worked well for us!
Your idea is great too with the table manners! Can't you just see them being little ladies at a "fancy" restaurant?! :)
Darren, hang in there! There is no reason why those girlies can't learn to do "boy things" too! :)
Post a Comment