123 Magic

123 Magic

So today we started this program. Not because the kids are out of control, but because Ty's back talk is becoming a problem. This was recommended by a friend and Amazon. As with any discipline program, we are putting our own spin on it, but mostly we are following the instructions.

Anyway, last night I got through the first part of the book-stopping the obnoxious behavior-and "stop" behaviors. These are any behaviors that you want your child to stop doing-not something you want them to start doing (like cleaning up, eating vegetables). So far, so good, although someone is testing.

So the biggest part of this was we designated a new "time out" spot. It used to be where we could see him and make sure h was being calm. Now it is in a chair in the dining room-which we rarely use. He can do whatever he wants on the chair, but he has to stay in contact with the chair. I am getting less upset at him now because I cannot see him fooling around.

The point of the time out is not to punish, it is for him to calm down.

So here is how it works....the most recent example: (3 time outs today, he is testing it....see if we do the same thing every time)

Me: Ty stop (was throwing stuff at the glass door while we were doing multiplication with blocks)

Ty: No-throws something again

Me: Strike one

Ty: No....a few seconds later....throws again

Me: Strike two

Ty: I hate everything. I hate this house.....tosses a block very gently at window (see the testing here)

Me: Strike three, 4 minutes, go

See that...no response from me. No emotions, no talking, no nothing. Ty gets up, goes to time out. Spends all of time out calling me a "mean-y" head, but I can't see him, and I pretend I can't hear him. Because he got 4 min he does not ask how long his time out is-always the same length unless he does something horrible-like hitting-which we have not had to do yet.

As soon as he is let out of time out, he forgets how mean I am and goes and plays with us again.

I will say, I prepped him pretty good. This morning we went and saw the time out spot. I explained every step to him. My husband also knows about the procedure and grammie will know tomorrow.

Tonight I hope to get into the "start" behaviors...I will update again. 

The biggest thing we have changed is we are not sending him to his room. We don't want to associate the place Ty sleeps with being bad, in addition we really only send him to his room when he is overtired and needs to rest. The time out spot works best for us.