Day Two: Pick Your Battles

Day two of the responsibility chart....

Not as good as day one, but 100 times better than every day before day one!!

I had to remind Bryce several times today of his goal. He still got in some trouble, but I have to find a fine line to walk. If he loses his magnet at the slightest thing he is going to give up, at the same time - I can't let him get away with everything.

I am trying to ignore smaller things that he does and remind him when he does some things. He is trying, I mean REALLY trying. This is his second day/night of him going down for nap and to bed without fighting. That, in itself, makes this all worth it!

Bryce asked me an important question, but the answer is a little tricky. He asked what happened if he could not take a nap. I asked what he meant and he said that sometimes he can lay in bed for a long time and just can't sleep. I can typically tell before he goes down if he "needs" a nap, depending on what time he went to bed the previous night, what time he got up, how he slept, attitude, etc. If I tell him "You don't have to go to sleep if you can't," he will not even lay down long enough to give himself a chance to fall asleep. So, instead I am trying to be very understanding if he is in there, quiet, for a while but is unable to go to sleep. We have not had that problem yet, though.

He DID lose a magnet today. It was this evening when things usually get a little wild and crazy. I HAD to take the magnet because he was warned several times about what he was doing. I did tell him that he could work to earn it back. I am trying to start this VERY LENIENT and we will get less as we get the hang of it.

I am very impressed with him. I am very impressed with our system. It is still early but I have faith. A lot of our problem is that I am exhausted with being a single mom - because I am NOT a single mom!! Daddy's travel schedule is really wearing on us all! I know I am often overly-sensitive because of my lack of a break. I try to remember that. When I get upset and frazzled, I take things worse and it carries over to the kids.

So, on our "one day at a time" mission - I would say we are two for two!!