So, life has been a bit chaotic this month. But in the four weeks since Nate was born, it seems like we’ve all (kinda sorta) adjusted to a sixth member of the family. The kids have started new schools with the whole shebang of new teachers and new friends and new schedules. The twins are working on the last 10% of potty training. For Sam that means going an entire day without wetting himself. We all have goals–apparently this is my goal more than Sam’s.
But that’s a different blog post.
In the midst of the transitions and chaos and changes, M. and I are trying to keep everyone their normal rule-following selves. And even though discipline can take on many different forms….my favorite is discipline by distraction.
Case in point: the picture of Sam painting. I believe there’s a time and place for messy art projects and that place is school. Too many at-home art projects have ended with one of the kids dumping an entire canister of glitter on the floor. Yes, we occasionally do messy art projects at home.
But only when I need a distraction.
That’s the beauty of it. Paint or glitter or glue are so rare, they always attract the kids away from the brewing fight or simmering tempers.
An afternoon of twins at each others’ throats and Catie bossing them around like the dictator a small country? Pull out my endless supply of unopened Happy Meal toys. Or let them play with my cell phone. Or tell them they can help me cook.
Yes, avoiding conflict by distracting is as old as Adam and Eve (which, by the way, didn’t work that well for them with Cain and Abel), but it really works for us.
Except when the kids spill the paint. And then we have a brewing fight and blue carpet.
Hi Tina,
Love your blog! You inspired us to start one of our own:
http://sjhelvey.blogspot.com/2010/07/reason-no-two-reasons-to-blog.html
You are only the second person with whom I’ve shared this link. Am I one of your first commenters?
Lol on letting the kids play with the cell phone. That is often my tool of last resort too, but it always works!
Love from Nebraska,
Sarah