PLAN: Align my children's priorities with my own.
LEVEL OF SUCCESS: Fairly high thus far.
If you will recall, last week I was attempting to diminish the level of fighting going on between my children.
EXECUTION: One child had to find his own ride to scouts. He was uncomfortable making the call. Another child had no way to get himself to the store to purchase supplies for his school project. He wisely used the rest of the week to put forth a little effort at kindness, and caught a lift in Mom's Taxi the day before it was due. Sadly, he also had a poetry project due the same day, and two hours of football practice. It's so tough when things get done at the last minute.
GENERAL RESULTS: In a Pavlovian way, I have turned the word "PRIORITY" into a saliva-producing bell. Except instead of saliva, I get forced kindness. In all fairness, they are making more of an effort. It's a little funny to watch them try so hard, especially when they don't really mean it. My favorite is when I see them doing something "nice" for a sibling and they ask me, "MOM! Can this be a PRIORITY?"
I think this has been an effective experiment. I would like to see increased results, and will continue to implement the Priority Tactic. It is significantly harder for one out of three of my children. Two seem to catch the drift. One seems to catch the drift only when it is convenient for him. Which is inconvenient for me. Bummer.
18 comments:
You are definitely a parental mastermind...
By the way, I love that picture of you...the dimple looks great and I like your hair straight or curly.
Thank you for following up with us. My parenting is seriously so lousy, lately.
You are a sly one my friend.
I'm so impressed with your ability to resist giving in. As I put the toothpaste on the toothbrush for my 13-year-old this morning.. he had to remind me.. "Mom. I got it."
Congratulations on your success thus far.. I could learn a little somethin' from ya.
By the way.. cute straight hair-do.
Awesome. Priorities! Love it.
P.S. This is a GREAT picture of you.
Parental mastermind indeed! I'd say keep at it and eventually forced kindness will just become kindness.
Again, genius. My kids are so going to hate me.
You're an iron-fisted despot. You rule Andreland with the heavy hand of horror and the heinous spector of sudden restribution for the most minor of offenses. Which is AWESOME.
blah blah blah nice dimple pic. (I guess that's required, I see everyone saying it.)
Hey, next Tunesday, can you post up some of that atrocious hip-hop you used to have on your answering machine back during your college days? I don't know what it was, I just remember calling you and it sounded like I had reached the set of Yo MTV Raps.
Please write a book with all of these ideas, and any else your twisted brain can cook up. We're all going to need it.
I bow to your love and logicness.
I was just looking at a map of the country which displayed all of the national forest areas in green. And guess which state is ridiculously covered in green? Idaho. So yes, I will come see you.
In response to your post: You've got some skills, and I have been trying to implement them in our home. Norah seems to be responding a little, but poor lulu...I think I will have to wait another year to go all Andrea on her.
I love the smug look in the picture and the post that followed! Glad it's such a success, way to stick to your guns!
May I call you, "twisted she-devil" for kicks? I think it sounds sexy.
I love it...you are a mother GENIUS!
So good. So good.
I too am loving that picture of you. You seriously have great hair.
Way to stick to your guns mama!
Oh and Aric was dying when he read your comment on my blog about misreading and thinking I said I was black...you are hilarious!
I'll go with twisted mastermind. Don't you just hate it when one doesn't get it? Rrrr...
I couldn't get past the cute dimples. I love your dimples! This should be your new profile pic.
Post a Comment