The last couple of months have been challenging with Gigi, to say the least, when it comes to her behavior. The word "no" was never really an issue during the twos but she has been using that word very liberally as she approached and turned three.
I just wanted to share a couple of the ways we've been dealing with some of this. Sometimes these things work great, other times I want to pull my hair out by 2pm. Mostly I just try to remember to pray a lot and remind Gigi of her Bible verses she has memorized (like Colossians 3:20 and Philippians 2:14).
A chore/responsibility chart: I downloaded this from (where else?) Simple Mom. I love the way she designed. it. I cut out the chores that fit well for our family and then slid the chart into a plastic pocket {the kind you'd put in a binder} so that I can use a transparency (wet-erase) marker to give her stars. As per Tsh's explanation, we give her a nickel for each star and she splits her money into three banks/jars (saving, spending & giving).
We also have a special row on the chart for days with no accidents. If she gets seven happy faces there, she gets a special treat. I'm trying really hard to not always have food be her treat (for example, a couple weeks ago, she got to spend the night at her Yaya & Papa's house.)
Quiet Play Time/Room Time:
We started doing this faithfully everyday a couple of weeks ago and it has been a lifesaver. Every afternoon she goes in her room and plays while I get a few things done and maybe even write a blog post (like now!). It started out rough. I mean, really rough. But gradually the tantrums got smaller and less frequent and now it has become just a regular part of our day (Thank you, Lord!).
An hour is definitely not enough time, but it's better than the nothing I'd been getting since she dropped a nap. I used to fight her and still try to put her down and now that she knows it's not required nap time, she has actually {jaw drop} crawled up on her bed and gone to sleep on her own, or just fallen asleep in her chair a couple of times. Wonders will never cease.
Oh, and I owe LeapPad my life, or at least my sanity.
(Now if I could only get her to clean up the first time I ask!)
The last thing is something more recent and it actually has to do with me. I've decided to give myself (flexible) parameters for computer stuff. I am aiming to shut the laptop (except for recipes basically) from the hours of 9-2 roughly. I use it in the morning over breakfast and then don't open it up again until her roomtime.
I still have internet and email on my phone for little checks here and there, but I think when I am present with her, Gigi's behavior is better (go figure!). It's been two days, and maybe coincidentally, she's been much better behaved during the day.
Oh, and I also try to be a fun mom. That helps some, too.
What do you do to deal with ornery toddler/preschooler behavior?