Part 1 of our behavior chart adventure was actually a great success! Lydia was well-behaved. She received more positive than negative marks on her chart. The only problem is that I was out of town so she was with my parents for two days. Then on the day she was supposed to go out for her reward it was raining and my husband was alone with the kids. He didn’t have the pluck to take both kids out by himself in the rain. (I can’t say I blame him, either.)

So, on my first day home, Lydia was…a nightmare. I called my husband and said, “I wish you had taken Lydia on her reward because she has been SO bad today there is no way we can give it to her.” This has continued all week. She’s had her favorite stuffed animal taken from her. She’s had spankings. She’s been in time out too many times to count. And she just holds on to that rebelliousness ALL DAY LONG.

At about 10:00 this morning I had enough. I sent her to a silent time out in the other room. And I did what all good crazed parents do: I turned to twitter.

Soon I had over 10 responses. (Some of them VERY good, too!)

But this one hit me like a ton of bricks.

(from Sandra at Celebrate Every Day)

I literally smacked my hand to my forehead. It’s obvious my daughter is sinning. The only way to combat sin in our lives is through God’s Word. WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT BEFORE?!

So, we made another chart (I didn’t even take a picture of it because it’s so ugly. Really.) The top said, “Philippians 2:14: “Do everything without COMPLAINING or ARGUING.”

Then I made two columns on the bottom: one entitled LYDIA and the other entitled MOMMY. I told Lydia that every time she obeys the verse she gets a sticker. And even if I get onto her and she stops and obeys, she’ll get a sticker. But if she doesn’t then I get to make a mark in my section (an X, a line or a sad face).

She LOVED this idea. She was determined to get more stickers than me.

And the rest of the day was a DREAM.

We repeated the verse a lot of times. And each time she did it happily. She said, “OK, Mommy!” every time I asked her to do something. Twice she was reprimanded for something and I could see the internal struggle to pout. Instead she mustered up her self-control and said, “OK, Mommy.” Once we had to say the verse together in the middle of her “internal struggle”. But she said it with a lightness and sweetness in her voice.

I was amazed.

Before we went to bed we reviewed the chart. We talked about how great of a day this was without the whining and trouble. I told her we were only going to do the chart one more day.

Lydia: Why?

Me: Well, why do we obey the Bible? Why do we obey this verse? For stickers?

Lydia: (laughing) Nooo!

Me: We obey because God wants our hearts to obey and love him. This chart and these stickers are just practice so you can really learn how to obey.

Lydia: I’m going to get even MORE stickers tomorrow!

Tonight when we prayed before bedtime I had such a clear picture of WHY God gave us His Word. It isn’t just so we can honor Him. It’s also so OUR lives will be better. When Lydia obeyed, it changed the whole atmosphere of our house. What a picture to me as an adult, a wife and a mother—when I obey God, think of others first and control my mouth the atmosphere around me changes. I will see good things in my life because I’m obeying God!

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photo by pewari

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Continuing on our theme of respect, we are learning to respect God’s word!  I have a couple verses we will be sharing about God’s word, and we started with a new memory verse… Do not merely listen to the word.  Do what it says.  James 1:22

I really want to impress on Elias that God’s word is truth, and we need to not only listen to the word (stories, rules, promises, etc), we need to actually do what it says.  I want this to help lay the foundation for respect and obedience to God.

So in the spirit of doing, we did a memory verse activity game – something to get Elias moving and doing…

To prepare, write and cut out 2 sets of the individual words in the Bible verse… we’re doing another matching game, so the different colors for the words help a lot.

Then we placed one set of words at the far end of our living room, and I sat at the other end and handed Elias the words of the Bible verse in order, having him run to the other end of the room to match up the words and bring them back.  I have a video to illustrate (and some words to say about the video: see note at bottom of post):

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Elias had a lot of fun doing this – and despite Donovan’s fussing in the background, he had fun, too – once I made sure he had 2 pieces of paper in his hands, just like Elias.  If you have a chance, double check yourself with the words – I was missing a couple words on the coffee table, so the nice little edit you see in the middle of the video was actually me running to the other end of the room to figure out what I did wrong, tripping over both boys in the process, and generally creating mayhem.  Ehem…

After the activity, we strung the words together to hang our verse up – this is so easy!  I’ll be making banners like this for everything in the future!

All I did was punch a hole in each top corner of the word and string them on some yarn – WAY too easy!  Not as pretty as some of the bunting that is out there right now, but a quick and fun alternative!

I really like that this is out in the main rooms of our house for everyone to see – I already have it memorized, and it is a constant reminder for me to set a good example for the boys, and really work on obeying God’s word in all I do.

**Note on video – a quick apology for the state of my living room – you get a far away view of my sewing corner… and the coffee table is pushed over to the side like that to prevent the boys from playing with my sewing stuff.  It’s just how our home functions on a daily basis, and it’s not the showcase I’d like it to be… and now I know why Josh thinks I talk too loud.  Man – I am loud!  OK – enough apologizing about the video – I’m just nervous because it’s my first time to post one… and now I’m over it!

Every night around dinner time my son gets whiny clingy loud. He follows me around the kitchen crying. He pulls up and hangs onto my legs. He wails as if the whole world was ending. And honestly, I think it’s less about ME than it is that he knows I’m cooking FOOD.

And every day by the time dinner is done I’m ready to throw the food on the table and lay on the couch while the kids eat! So, today’s fruit has been verrrry convicting helpful.

That’s right, we’re talking about PATIENCE.

Proverbs 14:29 says, “Anyone who is patient has great understanding. But anyone who gets angry quickly shows how foolish he is.” Do you know how many times this verse has gone through my head today?! *deep breath*

Anyway, Lydia and I made a little poster of our verse. (I got this great drawing pad at Target for like 50% for all the back-to-school stuff!) We hung it up under flatLydia but forgot about our aggressive little Asa. We had to tape it back together but it still looks ok…

{{Also a good lesson in patience: not yelling at your brother (or son as the case may be) when he rips your poster off the wall.}}

You can see I wrote Lydia’s name in the verse. We read it normal and then I read it once with her name. She asked to read it “with Lydia” several times. It’s always surprising to me how much she likes it when we read/learn/talk about scripture–and how quickly she remembers it. Even later in the day she heard someone say “quickly” and she said, “Mommy! QUICKLY! Just like our verse! That’s funn-y.”

I chose a kiwi to represent patience because kiwis are hard on the outside but YUMMY on the inside! While we held a kiwi and rubbed it’s rough exterior, we talked about how patience is hard to do on the outside but is well worth it on the inside! Lydia carried the kiwi all around today–even in the car! We never got around to eating it, but I’m sure we will soon.

I’m debating about telling you my plans for the kiwi…if I tell you what I’ve got planned, I’m afraid I won’t do it. Then I’ll look silly or worse, lazy! But if I don’t tell you, well…that just ends my post right here.

Fine.

I’ll tell you.

Stay tuned for more kiwi goodness: Kiwi Polymer Clay Beads, Abraham’s Promise, Patience Practice and much more!

photo by krassycandoit

Lydia is 3 and a half. And sometime in this last year the WHINING but has bitten. Her favorites are “I don’t waaaant to!” or “Buuuut…” and of course, “What can I do?” I feel like I am constantly saying, “Say it in a nice voice, please.” (Or a big girl voice or a quiet voice or whatever)

It’s not so much the annoying whine, it’s the complaint behind it. I don’t want Lydia to be in a constant state of selfishness and un-thankfulness spouting “that’s not fair” or “I want more” as a kid OR an adult.

I love Philippians 2:14 & 15 in the NIV,

“Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe.”

I’d much rather have my kids be shining stars instead of complaining kiddos! (Hmmm…shiny stars sounds like a fun craft waiting to happen!)

Anyway, a few weeks ago I got something in the mail that has helped head off the  “What can I do?” question and the similar but also whiny, “I’m bored!” statement.

Usually we’ll be sitting int he playroom (which is entirely too big and packed for anyone’s good) and she’ll say, “What can I do, Mommy?” I want to look at her and say, “For real?! Most kids across the world would be ecstatic with just one of your toys.” But of course, I don’t and we go rooting around for a fun thing to do.

Until we got a Happy Gram from Primrose Schools. (They have launched a new blog called Dr. Z and Me which is full of fun tips and information from Dr. Mary Zurn, Primrose’s early childhood education expert. Dr. Z’s first post was on boredom busters!) So, inside my Happy Gram was a Boredom Buster jar complete with a list of boredom busting tips!

Lydia and I took that jar and ran with it! We used the enclosed glitter glue sticks and stickers to decorate the jar.

She was more intrigued with making polka dots with glitter glue than with spelling words on the side with stickers like me. Regardless, it came out looking pretty cute.

Then we wrote down all of her toys on a separate piece of paper along with some of Dr. Z’s best tips (my fave? build a fort!).

Then, the next time Lydia says, “What can I do, Mommy?” I have her run over to the jar, pull out a piece of paper and that’s what she has to play!

She likes it so much she asks me what she can do just so she can get something out of the jar! It really cuts down on whining because it’s catching the aggravation before it even starts. It also promotes thankfulness because Lydia has so much too choose from–she’s actually re-discovering stuff she hasn’t played with in forever.  And if you’re like me, you can stack the deck by making a card that says “kiss Mommy” or “sing a song” in there. I also wrote down “read a book” on at least three pieces of paper!

Plus, Asa likes to push it off the toybox. It’s a two-for-one!

Now it’s YOUR TURN. Leave us a comment answering the question: What do you do when whiny-ness hits? How do you bust boredom?

Then you will be entered to win this BEAUTIFUL crayon holder thingie from Honeybug Bags (Leigh’s very own soon-to-come etsy shop!).

Kids can take it in the car, into a restaurant or just hunker down on their bed to draw, write and color to their heart’s content. It makes me happy just looking at it! It’s a boredom buster for your purse or diaper bag!

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And don’t forget our Surprise Party is kickin’ all week! You can still enter Day 2, Day 3 and Day 4’s giveaway and don’t forget to join us tomorrow for the last day of our Surprise Party… and the week’s final giveaway!

From the fruit of his lips a man girl is filled with good things as surely as the work of his her hands rewards him. Proverbs 12:14 (de-emphasis mine!)

It doesn’t snow here often and when it does, we get excited!

We were at church when it started. So we got to drive home with big fat snowflakes falling everywhere, roofs and mailboxes frosted white with snow. Lydia giggled and oohed and aahed all the way home.

We raced outside to take some pictures. Then took off our dripping clothes to take a nap. Lydia pulled on some snowflake patterned pants. Then we hopped in the bed to read Charlie & Lola’s Snow is My Favorite and My Best by Lauren Child.

Now she’s taking a nap with her white bear she calls Snow Bear. And has been promised that we will build a snowman in the morning. Yup, it’s been a pretty exciting day for Lydia.

“Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;  though they are red as crimson,  they shall be like wool”. Isaiah 1:18-19

Each week, here’s what I try to do. I’m not “homeschooling” her every day or anything. I just try to integrate our verse & letter into about 3 different activities across 3 different days. If I actually get all 3 of these things done I feel VERY VERY accomplished. Each post following this one will showcase one or more of these segments:

Day 1:

First: Find a Verse

We read the verse from the Bible, write it down on paper and then repeat it a few times. I try to pick verses that actually begin with the letter we’re focusing on. That doesn’t always work. Some verses are inappropriate for a preschooler…

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth— ofr your love is more delightful than wine.” Song of Solomon 1:2

or they just don’t mean much…

“Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself.” Deuteronomy 23:12

I want to put scriptures into my children’s hearts that will be helpful to them (DO NOT BE AFRAID!) or that show some great quality about God (GOD IS LOVE!).

I usually look at the New International Reader’s Version first. It’s on a 3rd grade reading level and is in short sentences. However, I also use BibleGateway.com to look at several versions, in case something is written a little bit easier (or to make it start with our letter!)

Second: Go to Starfall.com

This is seriously my favorite thing ever. It’s a free site for parents and teachers. It’s got all kinds of computer “games” that teach letters and reading. The ABC portion is so cute. You click a letter and then it goes through all sorts of words that begin with that letter–they’ll show pictures, animations and even games. But the best part is it says the letter’s sound every time you click. I love listening to my daughter repeat the sounds with every page.

Third: Find a craft

I try to find a picture or craft that can be on our same Bible verse page. We display it all week…mainly so I can remember to say the verse with her. So, we’re not talking big honkin’ craft here. Just something more than coloring is all I’m after. We’ve done stamps, fun foam, feathers, yarn…whatever just happens to be laying around the house. Seriously, I have NEVER bought anything for this crafty endeavor.

There are tons of great sites out there. You can view them all on my sidebar.

Fourth: Letter Recognition
I usually print a Capital & Lowercase letter and let Lydia trace it. I found a great site that has the printable letters with the directional arrows on each one. Not that my daughter uses or understands the directional arrows. But still, it’s fun for her.

The tracing of the letters, the computer game, craft and Bible verse MAY take us a half an hour to a full hour. It’s not structured. I don’t make her do the craft the way I want. (Wait till you see the elephant she made for E. yikes.) It’s just about introducing the letter and saying the verse as many times as she’ll do it!

When our crafts and coloring sheets are done, we hang them up in the living room. She loves looking at her “abc verse” all week…especially if someone comes over, that’s the first thing she wants to show them.

Day 2: Activity

I try to find something else to do that goes with our letter.

C? Are you making chicken for dinner? Let your preschooler help.

A? Going grocery shopping? Let your son pick out three things at the store that begin with A. (uhm…apples, apricots and artichokes)

K? Go fly a kite!

E? Tivo a show about elephants.

F? Make an American Flag from tissue paper and let your child display it in their room.

Just whatever I can find online, remember from doing as a kid, or can just make fit into our letter.

Day 3: Library Books

We go to the library and look for books that begin with our letter. Or are somewhat about our letter. Or about the craft we did.

For example, the letter A; I found books about Johnny Appleseed. Then I just searched our card catalog for anything that had to do with apples. For B, we got Berenstain’s B Book. For C we looked for books about cats and caterpillars. For E I found Elmer the Elephant. You just have to search around.

Hope this helps! Please leave comments or questions!