Parenting Class: Week 10 & 11

Luckily, since I never got around to posting about week 10, we covered the same topic in further detail in week 11!

The topic was time out.

We discussed it for two different purposes.  The first purpose was to teach them against aggression and/or violence.  The second was to teach them compliance to your commands.  (Remember we'd learned about commands a few weeks ago.)

Their recommendation is an immediate time out for any violence.  I.E. Hitting, biting, kicking, throwing something at someone, well, you get the idea. 

Their other recommendation is that if your child doesn't comply with your command, to give them a warning, then send them to time out.  However, the key in this piece is that once the time out is over, they have to go back to complete the command you had requested.  You continue the cycle until the command is completed.  If they don't do what's asked, time out. 

The other key to time out is that it is in a boring place.  They should be removed from the situation and placed somewhere by themselves.  We have a foyer area where a couple rooms take off with a closet in it that our boys have a time out chair in. 

We follow the general guideline of one minute in time out per year of age, but we also learned today that they need to be in time out and calm for 2-3 minutes before being removed from time out.  The theory behind this is that if they're not calmed down when they're done with time out, they'll go back to the misbehavior that landed them in time out to begin with.

Time out is a method to teach the child to calm themselves down and to control their emotions.

We were also advised not to lecture after time out about why they spent time there.  It's best to just move on with activities.  We're directed to say "you hit, now you must go to time out."

We've been using time our for some time.  We're lucky that our boys have adjusted to it.  We did go through a phase where ever time you put Caden in time our, he'd pee his pants, but luckily the ignoring method we learned earlier worked, and that stopped too!

Mary Christmas

Caleb has been telling most everyone we encounter Merry Christmas this year.  It makes me proud.

Just the other day I witnessed him telling everyone at the day care Merry Christmas on our way out the door.

Then we get in the car and Caleb wishes us a Merry Christmas.

Then Caden asks "who is Mary Christmas?"

Then I chuckle and offer the explanation that it's like wishing Jesus happy birthday, except that we say Merry Christmas!

2010 Thanksgiving Family Photo

November 25, 2010

A Reminder

I just finished reading Nichole from In These Small Moments blog, and while I'm not nearly as fluent of a writer, it inspired me to put my thoughts on today into words.

My husband had an upper endoscopy this morning.  I was worried about it.  I'm a worrier; it's part of what I do.  He reassured me it was just precautionary.  After the procedure, he also confessed he was worried too. 

The details of today are irrelevant really.  Everything turned out just fine.

The thing about today, is that was a big reminder in my mind to his colonoscopy nearly a year ago.  You see, he had that procedure on a Monday in January.  The prior week, I'd been to my first pre-natal appointment with my doctor.  We left that appointment knowing there were two possibilities.  1) We weren't as far along in our pregnancy as we thought we were.  2) There was no fetal development.


My doctor wouldn't have results of some blood tests for us until Monday. 

After Keith's colonoscopy, we had breakfast and then were headed to my mom's to pick up our boys when my doctor called.  She confirmed that the pregnancy wasn't developing and that I was to have another ultrasound that afternoon.  I quickly pulled over to the nearest parking lot, and sat there in tears holding my husbands hand, who was still feeling the effects of the anesthesia from his procedure. 

I know he was exhausted that day.  I would soon learn what it felt like to trudge through a day after those powerful medications.  He was a trooper.  He made phone calls to our families and I sent text messages to friends and co-workers.  I made a tearful phone call to my boss at the time, and prepared to have some time off work.  I still had several ultrasounds and appointments before we proceeded with the D&Cs, but we carried on.

Today, we were back in the same clinic he had the colonoscopy for his procedure.  It also happens to be the same clinic I had some of my ultrasounds in.  It brought back a flood of emotions.  I remembered those feelings; thought about our wee one, and reminded myself how grateful I am for the life we do have and how far we've come since this day.

Although, I'd still prefer to not be back in that building again for some time.  I can't believe it's been almost a year. 

Christmas Lights

Every year at Christmas time, we try to take the kids somewhere to look at Christmas lights.  We've been to Oglebay Festival of Lights, Nela Park, and the lights in the park near the Football Hall of Fame.

This year, we went to Cambridge, Ohio.  It was definitely worth the approximately 85 mile drive!  The Guernsey County Courthouse has a light display set to music every year.  The downtown is a buzz with people, lights, a live nativity, carriage rides, and an amazing Dickens Victorian Village!

If you're anywhere close, it's an amazing show and worth the trip!  There's a preview here.  And of course we took some of our own photos!

The show runs in 4 approximately 15 minute segments with a different theme for each.  We were lucky and we took them on a 40 degree day, but I'd recommend dressing warm!  There were even benches to people to sit and watch the show, but you might want to take a blanket or two so keep your bottom warm!

But I heard you!

The boys latest gig is pure determination.  Several conversation in our house go like this:

Mommy and Daddy are talking about something that we're planning for the afternoon or dinner, anything really.  For example, please don't walk through the snow we don't have your snow boots out yet.

Caden and Caleb, with pure determination follow with a related item from the conversation, but twisted into something they want.  For example, mommy, you say we can put our snow boots on at home and play in the snow?

While Keith and I deny all allegations made, because really, we never said such a thing!

They continue with: but mommy, I hear you say that.  No I heard you!

Really, where do they come up with these schemes!?

Where's the line to see Jesus?

This morning in church, the Pastor played this video as a part of the sermon.  

I don't think it needs any further words.