Mud Puddles and Dandelions

Today, on my "day off" I will be busy removing toys from bedrooms!! The boys are going to be losing all toys for awhile.

Caleb will not clean his room. When I tell him to, he is always "playing with all of the stuff on the floor," even when he is not and has not been in his room. When he is suppose to be doing homework - he is playing. So, until Caleb can stop the attitude, clean up after himself and do his homework when he is supposed to - he owns NOTHING!!

Isaac and Bryce....well....we are having a problem with Bryce peeing - in EVERYTHING!! We are talking boxes, legos, toy fireman boots, if it holds liquid - he will pee in it. While this is Bryce doing it, and Bryce being held responsible for it, he is being TOLD to do it. Then the brother (they both do it, but Isaac is the worst) that told him to do it, quickly runs to me or Daddy and tells on him! We are trying hard to teach Bryce not to listen to his brothers and definently not to do what they say when he KNOWS it wrong! He knows what he is supposed to do and what he isn't, but chooses to listen to them anyway. He IS held accountable for his actions and choices! Isaac (or whoever tells him to do what he does wrong) is also held responsible for their choice of telling their brother to do something they know he is not supposed to do (and then tattling about it).

It started with them telling him to take toys into the bathroom and fill it with water. Then they would tell him to take them and pour it into something into the bedroom. It escalated from that to telling him to pee. I have HEARD them tell him to do both, so I know they are doing it! At this point, their bathroom door is staying locked and they have to ask me to unlock the door so they can go to the bathroom. That way I know who is in there, how long they are in there and what they are doing while they are in there. It also helps me keep the bathroom clean, but it is still sad that I have to go to this extreme!

After dealing with this for way to long, and trying MANY different punishments - none of which are working long-term, we are now removing everything FUN from their room. Unfortunately, since that is what he is being told to pee in - and peeing in - this is the last straw and what is going to have to be done!!

We have never had this problem before. I don't know that he is doing this because of Andrew (maybe he is, but I don't know). I think he is basically trying to be one of the "BIG BOYS" and when they tell him to do something, he does it! School peer pressure should be fun if he can't handle his brothers pressuring him into trouble. That is why we have CONTINUAL talks about NOT listening to his brothers and doing what he KNOWS is the right thing to do.

I warned Caleb that if this does not fix the problem, the next step is that Caleb and Isaac start sharing a room so that I can get Bryce away from the problem!!