It's been a month since I posted a new entry! Things have been crazy here, as always. It seems everytime I sit down to write an update, there is a crisis to deal with(think three year old who decided to paint her own finger and toe nails!), diaper change, or question to answer ("Mommy, can I fly to heaven in a rocket?") So, this may be short. We'll see how far I get!

Word of The Year

My word for this year is Perseverence. So far, I've focused mainly on persevering through the issue of child rearing. (I will be branching out next month into a different area of perseverence I'm facing, so stay tuned! ) Last month, I decided I needed to find a practical way to make it easier to persevere in my discipline of the kids. I had found several pocket charts in the dollar section of Target several months ago, and grabbed them, knowing I'd put them to use someday. (My original thought was to use them as chore charts.) So, last week, after much discussion with my wise husband, and friends who were also dealing with discipline problems, I sat down and hammered out a discipline/reward system. I'm hoping this will make me more accountable in my discipline, and that it will make me more aware of what is truly defiance/disobedience, and what is just childish foolishness. So, here is what we're doing!

We have a chore chart on our fridge. Each kiddo has a pocket with their name on it. There is then a space for me to put chore cards. Each day, they are given two chores to do (obviously just Sawyer and Campbell!) The deal is that they are to do their chores with a happy heart. If they do, they will receive a token for that day. We are using poker chips for tokens! At the end of each week, they can use their tokens to purchase things at Mommy's Store - toys, video rentals, dates with Daddy/Mommy, etc. If they complain about their chores, they do not get their token that day. Next to the chore cards, you will see their "Privelege Pass" This is a pass connected with a special privelege - Legos, Movies, Etc. It will depend on the week/kid/etc. what it is connected to. As long as they keep their pass, they have that privelege. They can lose their pass because of discipline problems. (Thank you to my sweet friend Sunday for the idea - she is a fount of knowledge and wisdom!)

We hung the If / Then chart on the inside of our bathroom closet door, since we use this room for correction. We broke down the most common problems we need to deal with, and attached a form of discipline to each offense. The kids are both starting to read, so hopefully in another few months, they will be able to read for themselves what  the "then" is for each "if." Just to give you an example, if someone is stirring up strife or teasing, then they have to give the offended one of their tokens, and do their chores the following day. We also hung my "Wise Words for Moms" chart on the door. This is a wonderful tool that helps you reach your child's heart, and deal with the real issue, not just correct the behavior for the sake of getting them to act the way you want them to. Here's a link: Wise Words for Moms They're really affordable! Every mom needs one of these, regardless of what form of discipline you use!

The ultimate purpose in all of this is to help me be more accountable, and for the kids to be aware of the consequences their actions have. They will be held accountable for their actions, just like me! Please pray for us as we transition to this new, more structured way of correction!