Just to give you an idea of what he has done ( bless his heart, this is soooo unlike him )
* He cut in half the only suction bulb we have for the baby. I bought another that didn't work, so we've had a stuffy baby ever since :(
* He used a thumbtack to poke holes in 3 cans of soda in my classroom. It wasn't unlike I felt the sticky mist of Dr. Pepper that I saw him toss the thumbtack behind a desk.
* He un-stuffed one of my mother's nice feather throw pillows. The living room floor looked like a "down" explosion.
So, based on the advice of an older mom, I have decided that we need to do some "tomato-staking" with Big G before I get too stressed!
The idea is that in order to train your child and correct bad behavior, you have to truly know their heart. Talk with them about why they feel the desire to carry out the action, and show them ways to deal with those desires. The goal is to correct the behavior without spanking or negative punishment. Of course, we have to do these things every now and then. However, there is never a time when I really want to spank him.
Lastly, and probably most important, is the actual "tomato-staking". The name is wacky, but the idea is pretty basic. You have to involve your child in almost every activity you do and watch them constantly, until they are trustworthy enough to be alone. This is the key thing for me. It seems like nearly everytime he is alone, he does something like this. So I guess he doesn't need to be alone very much.....
I will let you know how this goes. Big G is pretty independent and likes to do his own thing alot of times, so taking away his freedom at home will be difficult. Hopefully, it's not a complete bust!
* Scroll to the bottom of the page & click on the DWYH button for more parenting and homemaking links!
I'm a big "fan" of tomato staking. When we started doing this, it completely changed our family. People kept telling me my son HAD to be ADHD, but we've seen him calm down so much by a combination of tomato staking and diet changes! It makes SUCH a difference! I think tomato staking can be quite fun- involving them in daily activities can be joyful for all!
ReplyDeleteI'm never heard of this! My 4 yr old is very independent as well my 6 year old is complete opposite so I always have to related to them differently which can be challenging! Thanks for linking up girl!
ReplyDeleteMandyMom- It's still difficult,as he LOVES to go into his room and play by himself. We have always given him so much freedom in that sense, so it is hard to take it away. However, nothing has been destroyed lately!
ReplyDeleteMarcie- It's been fun linking up. I really enjoy reading your blog, and I'm so honored that you are reading mine!