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Today was a bad day for us so maybe I will respond to this post when I'm not in a foul mood LOL!

Ok, better today.

Use lots of different things, I could probably be more consistent but

Anyway, been using timeouts, redirecting (even with Gabrielle) and a couple 'methods' "123 Magic" and "Love & Logic." Those two methods are pretty different but I use them both. Mostly L&L but sometimes fall back on the 123 Magic.

I started looking at other methods than timeouts because the childcare licensing agency here in Florida doesn't really approve of timeouts for discipline... they feel it is too isolatory. (I guess that is a word)

123 Magic is counting that we sometimes hear people do, but the important thing is to not give a whole lot of intermediate numbers (no 2 and a half crap) So first they have to have knowledge about what they are doing and that it is wrong (let's say whining) and then when they are doing it, you count 1 (still doing it) 2 (still doing it) 3 (still doing it... repercussion.) Now when I started using that the repercussions were timeout or taking tv privileges away.

L&L is based on getting the kids to deal with the consequences of their actions. L&L people say that 123 Magic gives the kids too many chances, so a whining kid would not get to the count of 3 to stop whining (if whining was your big no-no!) Sometimes the consequence means 'quiet time' in their room which is also like a timeout too, so what the heck!

Anyway, the point is to make sure the kids can relate the consequences in terms that make sense. So for an 18 month old that throws food on the floor at dinner, you might say 'uh oh, looks like you are done eating, dinner's over' and then you remove them from their chair. Or if they won't sit down in the bathtub 'uh oh, looks like you are ready to get out.' and you remove them from the tub. (The tub thing worked for us, the high chair thing not so much, sometimes he will throw the food BECAUSE he wants out. Ooops.)

And as the kids get older than the consequences can be bigger. The point is to make sure they understand before they are 10 or so that mom and dad will always love them but might not always bail them out, so make wise choices. (I so think my brother and I could have benefited from this! )

So if you remember that time Violet was talking about Hannah not being ready to go in the morning to school, and someone suggested that she just drive her to school in her PJs.... well THAT is a perfect example of L&L techniques.