02 March 2011

Toothy Tales

I'm sure the world needs more help persuading children to behave when their teeth are getting brushed. Lately we've been constructing more and more elaborate tales to help Callum open his mouth properly for teeth time. It all started innocently enough with "open your mouth wider, wide enough for a truck to drive in." This progressed to "here comes the train, choo choo, chugga chugga, it's driving around the track" (i.e. the teeth). Now we have a bear going into a cave, looking for his jar of honey in all the corners, and finding all sorts of surprises like a spider, or a bat. Eventually he finds the honey, says YUM, and finishes by cleaning his rug (the tongue, of course).

Another recent development is the "talking spot" where the kids are sent to discuss their conflict until they agree or are at least no longer shouting about it. This took on a new twist today when Anya slammed a door again, despite repeated scoldings about door slamming. I asked for her input, saying I needed to come up with some way to make sure she would remember not to do it any more.

I talked ruefully about the way I was disciplined as a child (toys confiscated AND bottom smacked). After several minutes, she still didn't seem to have any comment or suggestion so I said sadly that I guessed I would have to give her a spanking (the last resort in our household); she asked for one more minute to think, then suggested that she should sit on the talking spot which is right next to the door she slammed, and she should gaze at the door to remember not to slam it any more.

I thanked her for the good suggestion and we put it into effect immediately. She missed out on most of story time, but came in toward the end.

Fingers crossed that this self-administered discipline sticks in her head. I will be feeling like the most brilliant parent in the world if this works!
Ferocious grin

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