Sunday, April 19, 2009

Introduction

Boundaries With Kids
Introduction

What it’s about
Explains that to book teaches…
how to prevent boundary problems.
the parent how to behave with the child

Quotes from this chapter I liked
No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11

Your task as a parent is to help your child develop inside him what you have been providing on the outside: responsibility, self control and freedom.

Personal
This scenario happened today, just as it does everyday…

Isaac does something that he isn’t supposed to. I correct him or ask him to sit on the step and he replies “I’m not going to be your friend anymore”.

I don’t like when Isaac says this. I think it’s manipulative and I don’t want him to try to hurt people’s feelings just because he doesn’t agree with them. He has been saying this for months but today it finally dawned on me-- I can make him STOP saying this by giving him a consistent consequence. I talked to Adam about it and we decided that the appropriate consequence would be 10 minutes of sitting on his bed in his room if he says it again. I think I will add time if he doesn’t follow the directions. This seems like a natural consequence for me…If he doesn’t want to be my friend, then he can see what it’s like to have no friends.

There things that Isaac does that I don’t like for one reason or another. So often I forget that I am in charge. I’m the one that is supposed to be in control- making the decisions of what he is and is not allowed to do and say. He needs me to tell him if something is okay or not okay. And I need to be the adult and give him the structure to help him grow into something beautiful.

2 comments:

  1. A good word, Michelle, that YOU (And Adam too!) are the parent and can assert your authority in Isaac's life. It is good for him. I also LOVE the appropriate consequence of sitting in his room, to see what it's like to have no friends. That gave me a good laugh!

    I'll see if I can get this book. We are needing more structured discipline with E these days. I'm feeling more reactive than proactive.

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  2. That is so funny--- I read this comment and it made me realize that he has only been sent to his room twice for this-- and the last time was probably a week ago :-). That's good!

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