Cleaning and Other Punishments

Before punishing it is really important to be sure your child is purposefully disobeying, sometimes they don't understand what is happening or even sometimes we are so mad we over discipline.

When choosing a punishment choose one that is applicable to your childs age and understanding. When Chloe was two and a half I sat her on a chair in the middle of the lounge (she loved playing with the other kids so she hated not being able to play). 

Different types of Punishment:

• Cleaning without reward.

• Removing tv and computer privileges.

• Removing favourite items.

• Missing out on an upcoming activity.

Role Modelling

Look in the mirror and see who your kids are taking after.

Reality is our kids learn to love, care, speak caringly from us if thats how we treat them.

I think this is the hardest part of parenting because it is so easy to yell when we are angry. The anger doesn't even need to have come from anything the kids have done/said. When I do something I don't want the kids to mirror I apologise and explain a better way I could have dealt with it.

Timers

This will be short and sweet. Timers are great, use them.

I use timers for:

• getting activities done (e.g. 10 mins to tidy bedroom)
• showers (Angel will stay in the shower for an hour without a timer)
• timeout
• tv and computer time

Pocket money and Chores

Pocket Money 

I started paying pocket money around the age of 4, depending on the child. My step-daugther gets $1 for each year of her life, at the moment she is 8 so gets 8 dollars a week. My own children I gave 50c for each year since I didn't have much money.

With my own children I had a weekly chart and if they completed it they got paid. With Angel we use marbles, each marble is worth 25c, she can earn $1 a day and when she gets $7 I throw in the extra dollar.

We have a jar system for pocket money and with my kids they put certain percentages in each one 10% giving jar, 20% long term savings, 10% savings and 10% family jar. With Angel she just has to put money in each jar and we don't have a family jar. Angels giving jar goes to the SPCA because she loves animals.

Chores

Making your bed, tidying your room and cleaning up after yourself is not a chore it is daily life.

Some of the chores we have are dishes, bringing in firewood, washing windows, setting the table, feeding pets, washing - hanging out, bringing in and/or folding, vaccuming, sweeping, mowing lawns, weeding.