Rule breaker

I have a No TV during the week rule. We don't get a lot of time with the kids after school and we have found that we barely have enough time for homework, dinner and baths without the distraction of TV. 

Tonight we had about twenty minutes before bedtime. We were going to send the kids to their rooms to read but instead Daddy turned the TV on. John said "I smell a rule breaker!" Daddy picked one of the kids favorite shows "Forged in Fire." The show is about blacksmiths that have to make weapons like knives and axes. The kids snuggled up with Daddy and watched TV. Sometimes you just gotta break the rules. 

Reunited

Over the past month and a half, Gillian has been having some problems at school and aftercare. She has been misbehaving and acting out. Our first response was to take away her favorite thing, her blanket (aka Manket). This didn't make a difference in her attitude. So we changed strategies. We opted for a reward system. She gets stars on the calendar when she behaves and frowning face when she is bad. She then earns privileges for a certain number of stars in a row. Today was her 10th good day in a row! She earned Manket back! She was so excited. This morning she woke up and said "If I'm good today, I get Manket! Almost ten stars!" When I picked her up from school she was grinning from ear to ear. She knew it was a good day and she would get Manket. I let her have her blanket as soon as we got home. She is so happy! Let's hope this good streak continues. 

Classroom rules

Tonight, Gillian kept singing this little song. It went something like "follow directions quickly." Later I heard her say "Rule number two." Finally I got her to sit still long enough to sing the full song.

 

Her art teacher made up these simple rules for her classroom. The song helped Gillian to remember. Very creative teacher. 

Survey says...

At dinner tonight, Gillian asked John and I, "Who likes Harry Potter?" John raised his hand. And I said "I do!" She looked at me and said "You gotta raise your hand." So I raised my hand. Then she asked "Who likes Frozen?" Gillian and I both raised our hands. She looked at me and said "You can't like both." I said "Yes I can." She said "Nope. My game. My rules." She wasn't happy that I liked both but she quickly moved to something else. 

Stupid

Stupid is a bad word in our house.  Anytime the kids say stupid they are sent to time out.  Tonight at dinner, Daddy was saying that he felt stupid.  Gillian looked at me and said "Daddy say stupid."  I said, "Yes he did.  Daddy, please don't say stupid."  Gillian wasn't happy with that response.  So she said to Daddy, "Daddy, stupid is not nice.  Mommy, Daddy said stupid.  Daddy, don't say stupid.  Mommy, I tell Daddy not to say stupid."