Day 2 was a return to our normal. I knew that the behavior chart wasn't going to be a magical cure-all but I had hoped it would last longer than one day. The novelty wore off quickly. However, I continued to look for things on that second day to praise them for.
We are now on Day 7 and we seem to have found a balance. There are less thank you's and pleases than we had on the first day. But, there are more than we had on Day 2. Today I asked Tru to go upstairs and climb into bed for his nap while I went to the laundry room and got his blanket. When I headed upstairs I found that he had actually listened to me. He wasn't lying on the stairs complaining that he was too tired to go upstairs. He wasn't running around the playroom. He wasn't playing with water in the bathroom. He was in his bed waiting for me. Following directions is one way that he can earn stars.
Dinner has also been much more pleasant lately. There have been fewer exclamations of how disgusting something looks. Eating dinner without complaining is another way to earn stars. Right now, they are behaving because they want to earn stars. They want the rewards. But whether they realize it or not, they are developing better habits. They are learning to listen and obey. They are learning to think before they speak and to be respectful.
I think though that the biggest benefit of this whole thing has been for me. I am now actively looking for and noticing good things about them. Like the way Truett is so eager to take care of Caia when she is upset. Or how good Jem is at following directions. And I can't even tell you how much nicer it is to see the good things about my kids instead of focusing on the ways they disobey or the whining and complaining. Those things are still there and I notice them and I'm still frustrated by them. But now I have the good things to help balance it out. I should have done this a long time ago. Ah, hindsight.
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