SNOWED IN
Oh my..... while every other kid in town is rejoicing because there's no school today... TLP has been over here trying his best to torture his mother.
It all started with "wanting to build a snowman."
I told TLP that when his bedroom was clean,
we could go outside to shovel the snow and build a snowman.
That was when the screaming started.
"My room is toooooooo dirty!"
"I can't do it by myself!"
"Hmmmm .... Funny that he was able to mess it up all by himself," I thought to myself.
"When your room is clean, we will make a snowman," I repeated.
TLP stomped to his bedroom and started screaming and throwing his toys around,
making an even bigger mess.
I let him scream and trash the room a bit before going back in to talk to him.
"When you decide to stop screaming and clean your room, we can go make that snowman."
After I left the room, the screaming got louder and louder.
I ignored him until he started slamming things around really hard.
Then I went back into his room.
"Now the rules have changed," I said.
"Since you can't seem to get yourself back in control, you'll need to come with me now."
"Where are we going," he said as he "quietly" followed me to the living room.
"You need to give me 10 minutes of Strong Sitting... then you need to go clean your room...
so we can go outside and make a snowman," I said calmly.
"But I want to clean my room now," he screeched.
"Of course you do," I said, "And you CAN clean your room...
right after you give me 10 minutes of Strong Sitting."
That was when the screaming began again. He threw himself onto the couch in a heap
and screamed until he more than likely had a headache bigger than I did.
I ignored him.
Before I knew what was happening, TLP just stopped screaming.
Then he got up and walked towards his bedroom.
"Where are you going," I asked.
"I'm going to clean my bedroom so we can make a snowman,"
he replied very matter of factly.
"No," I said. "Remember... the rules have changed now.
First you need to do Strong Sitting for 10 minutes...
THEN you can go clean your bedroom... then we can go out and make a snowman."
The screaming started again.
I ignored him.
About five minutes later... it stopped...
and he came walking quietly into the living room
and plunked himself loudly onto the floor beside me.
"What are you doing," I asked.
"My Strong Sitting," he said as if I was not a particularly intelligent person.
Okay," I said. "Your time starts as soon as you assume the position."
He assumed the position immediately. He gave me 10 minutes of great Strong Sitting.
When his time was up... he headed towards his bedroom.
All of a sudden he stopped and turned towards me.
"Mom... I'm going to clean my bedroom."
"Very good TLP," I said smiling. "Then we will go make a snowman.
"Mom," he said, just as he was about to close the door.
"After we're finished making the snowman... can we go sledding too?"
KIDS!!!!!!
Yet another battle won!
Our Strong Sitting:
Child sitting on the floor (Legs crossed, hands folded in lap, back straight.)
Child faces my direction (Time-in NOT Time-out)
Set a kitchen timer for 1 minute for each year
(TLP is 11... he generally sits for 10-11 minutes)
No talking ... no noises... no moving... no sounds..... for the entire time.
If the child does... the time starts over... as many times as it takes.
In the beginning... it could take 2 hours to accomplish just 10 minutes of "proper" Strong Sittting because they usually test. (TLP would clear his throat... and then argue that I was punishing him for having a frog in his throat) : )
