Godly discipline....cutting edge:)

NO...i still don't have pics for you but we are hopefully getting a camera this week so we have one for our vacation to CA. I thought i would blog though today about discipline....something that is not fun but VERY necessary.

For the most part we have survived the last 6 yrs by using the "naughty spot". it has worked great....it travels with us to the park, pool, friends' houses and everywhere else. it has worked with our kids so far and we are still using this but we had to add a twist today....in order for this to stay effective.

This week....the girls have pretty much been....ummmm horrible. ( any mom can say AMEN) The girls have NOT been obeying, respecting boundaries or being nice at all. yesterday was the last straw so don and i went to bed and decided that the naughty spot is not enough right now....the girls have been directly disobeying (ex. "mom, can we go outside?".... me..."not right now guys maybe in a little while."....they snuck out anyways knowing they would get punishment and sat on the naughty spot)...this is unacceptable to me the fact that they know this is wrong and did it anyway.

So, this morning we had a family meeting. don and i talked about some behavior that has been horrible and the girls were nodding and knowing that they were caught. we talked and read about how Jesus wants us to respect and obey our parents. we talked openly and honestly about behavior of others and making a choice to chose good actions because that is right and not just doing what others are doing or saying what others are saying. We prayed together and asked Jesus to forgive us and teach us and help us do better. Then we showed them our new idea.

Basically its a 3 strikes your out policy. i write both of their names on a piece of paper and beside their name is 3 empty boxes. if they disobey or get into something they know they aren't supposed to they still sit on the naughty spot but they also get a check in one of their boxes. IF they get all 3 of their boxes checked in one day.....no tv or wii. AND if we have 2 days of NO checks in their boxes we will do something special as a family....park, ice cream, or outing. Today this worked great.....both girls had one check in their box and they were horrified when they got the check (this is good:) Maddie in particular was so upset on the naughty spot and even more upset when i wouldn't erase it afterwards.

we will see how long this lasts.....i have a feeling i will have to come up with something new before long.....the life as a parent....always changing and loving our little ones. at dinner tonite we talked about our day and the girls were very excited to tell daddy they obeyed much better today..and both girls remembered what their "check" was for and why they were wrong.

oh the joys of parenting:)

no camera still

ok...so i have come to realize no one is going to return our camera so i hope they enjoy it;) i will be talking to don about getting a new one when he gets home. he has been gone all week this week doing a yearly training for new YFC staff in Huntington, IN. he gets home later tonite but has another trip Monday.

The girls and i have been keeping busy enjoying summer break. we have been swimming a few times and at the park plenty and yes....i have been getting plenty of comments about taylor's dark tanning skin....she is blessed i guess:) i was able to host a dinner this week for our MOPS steering team to close out the year and talk about summer. it was good to have them over.

we are very much looking forward to our family trip out to Willows, CA for grandma and grandpa Talley's 70th wedding anniversary party....YES...i typed that right....70 years of loving Jesus and loving each other....our example of what Don and i strive for!! That trip will be great for reconnecting with many family members and visiting friends from Sacramento as well.

the girls are good.....def keeping me busy...i am amazed at the amount of energy they both have.

pray for don and his continued energy as he travels and speaks.

sorry no pics...i have been using my old camera but i am not sure if we still have the connectors for that or not. so until later....;)