This Halloween is one we won't soon forget. I planned to take the kids downtown where the merchants hand out candy (beginning at 4 pm). Then we were going to eat dinner, go to our ward trunk or treat and then come home to watch a movie (The Goonies- edited version) and roast marshmallows in the back yard.
When Nathanael got home from school at 11:30 I told him that I wanted him to do his chores (would have taken him 10-15 minutes to do his two chores) right after lunch because he wouldn't have time to do them when the bigger kids got home from school (this is when he would normally do them). After lunch I nagged and he goofed off for a good thirty minutes. Long story short, after the nagging I gave him a very clear ultimatum. Do your chores before Ethan and Kate get home. If you don't do them, you won't trick or treat. Do you understand? Yes. You won't go with us if you don't have your chores done. Do you understand? Yes. No candy for you- do you understand? Yes. Ok. Can you do it? Yes. Will you do it? Yes. Awesome. I won't bug you anymore.
So every so often I would randomly call out the time, "It's now 2:15, 1 hour and 15 minutes until the kids get home." He sat in the kitchen and played games on the chairs. "It's now 2:45, 45 minutes until the kids get home" and so on.
Story becoming long again. So he didn't start working until about five minutes before they got home and he didn't make it. AHHHH! Are you kidding? What kid would *not* do two measly chores and give up trick or treating? I don't get it. I felt terrible about it- total backfire. He still had to finish his work, while Kate and Ethan were trick or treating. He was weeping and wailing and carrying on. I was so close to just letting him go, but I didn't and he stayed home.
After getting some candy (not a ton this year for which I am so grateful!) we came back home and had some friends over to watch our movie outside (Nathanael joined in for this). It was so warm we were able to do it and be comfortable (with blankets). We also had a fire to stand by if needed. Later we roasted marshmallows. Once the sugar high wore off we dropped like rocks into our warm beds.
Can you guess what my kids dressed up as?
Ethan wanted to be an "Australian." Aside from telling him that Australians wear clothes just like we do I didn't argue since I didn't have to do anything for this costume. He wore the hat he made at cub scout day camp this summer (theme was cubs down under), the shirt Grandma and Grandpa sent from Australia for his birthday and a sign on his back saying, "G'day Mate!"
Kate asked to be a polar bear. Yikes. I don't want to go into the hairy details but I ended up throwing some material on the table with the sewing machine and this is what came out. Next year she wants to wear the same thing, without the ears, and be a marshmallow.
Eli was our adorable frog. Jason took this awesome picture with his new SLR "work" camera (that means work pays and he plays). He says it was luck getting such a good shot. Luck or skill, I don't care I LOVE this photo!
When Nathanael got home from school at 11:30 I told him that I wanted him to do his chores (would have taken him 10-15 minutes to do his two chores) right after lunch because he wouldn't have time to do them when the bigger kids got home from school (this is when he would normally do them). After lunch I nagged and he goofed off for a good thirty minutes. Long story short, after the nagging I gave him a very clear ultimatum. Do your chores before Ethan and Kate get home. If you don't do them, you won't trick or treat. Do you understand? Yes. You won't go with us if you don't have your chores done. Do you understand? Yes. No candy for you- do you understand? Yes. Ok. Can you do it? Yes. Will you do it? Yes. Awesome. I won't bug you anymore.
So every so often I would randomly call out the time, "It's now 2:15, 1 hour and 15 minutes until the kids get home." He sat in the kitchen and played games on the chairs. "It's now 2:45, 45 minutes until the kids get home" and so on.
Story becoming long again. So he didn't start working until about five minutes before they got home and he didn't make it. AHHHH! Are you kidding? What kid would *not* do two measly chores and give up trick or treating? I don't get it. I felt terrible about it- total backfire. He still had to finish his work, while Kate and Ethan were trick or treating. He was weeping and wailing and carrying on. I was so close to just letting him go, but I didn't and he stayed home.
After getting some candy (not a ton this year for which I am so grateful!) we came back home and had some friends over to watch our movie outside (Nathanael joined in for this). It was so warm we were able to do it and be comfortable (with blankets). We also had a fire to stand by if needed. Later we roasted marshmallows. Once the sugar high wore off we dropped like rocks into our warm beds.
Can you guess what my kids dressed up as?
Blank space where Nathanael should
be shown dressed up as a bat.
be shown dressed up as a bat.
Ethan wanted to be an "Australian." Aside from telling him that Australians wear clothes just like we do I didn't argue since I didn't have to do anything for this costume. He wore the hat he made at cub scout day camp this summer (theme was cubs down under), the shirt Grandma and Grandpa sent from Australia for his birthday and a sign on his back saying, "G'day Mate!"
Kate asked to be a polar bear. Yikes. I don't want to go into the hairy details but I ended up throwing some material on the table with the sewing machine and this is what came out. Next year she wants to wear the same thing, without the ears, and be a marshmallow.
Eli was our adorable frog. Jason took this awesome picture with his new SLR "work" camera (that means work pays and he plays). He says it was luck getting such a good shot. Luck or skill, I don't care I LOVE this photo!
5 comments:
I hate it when your punishment plans backfire! Sorry about that! Just do what Mat does, tells them they can go and that they will talk about it later...which doesn't happen. You can see why mine always backfires! The kids look awesome and that froggy is so cute!
You are a GOOD mom!!! I am applauding you right now. Good job on not giving in, no matter how hard it was. In the long run it's going to be worth it...and MAYBE, just maybe, your kids will thank you for it. (I've thanked my parents.) :o) Way to go.
I actually have a few stories that are oddly familiar to yours. I even have some photo documentaion for remembering/proof.
Super cute froggy and I love your marshmallow polar bear.
I think you are a GOOD mom too. I hope I can be that strong with our kids. It is so important to be consistent. It reminds me of a pity-on-me story that Joe tells about my mom not letting him go to Dairy Queen because he didn't pull any weeds. I am sure he thanks her now for her strict mothering.
Way to go, Lisa. You are such a good example to me. I was thinking of you tonight when Miller was throwing his weekly fit and I wanted to give in.
The costumes look so good! The polar bear is a classic.
And Jason got a new camera??? What kind is it??? Now I'll be expecting lots more pictures on here of his experiments with it...uh, I mean of his "work". :-)
good work, lisa! i'll bet he won't make that mistake again.
that picture of eli is gorgeous. what a sweetie.
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