Tuesday, April 29, 2008

My first blinkie and dinner time

I needed to take a little break yesturday from doing layouts. So I decided to play around with something new and made my very first blinkie! I just used brushes to make it. Stamped Alpha by Michelle Coleman and Flowers by Sandy Krieger.
I have now my blog link in the forums has a blinkie. I have some other ideas swirling around in my head so stay tuned.

Having you been wanting to try a chipboard or acrylic hybrid project, but dont know where to go to get supplies? Stop by Elemental Scraps and see what's new. Look in the store under new products. My Mod Podge bottle is just bursting with excitement. I am also going shopping for a better exacto-like cutting tool this week.
On to family news...
My family, like many families has a rule. You have to eat your dinner if you want dessert. We are consistent with this rule. Rain, shine, Christmas or just a normal day the rule is the same.
We don't eat dessert every night and maybe that's our problem.
Liam just doesn't get it. For a while we were saying, "When you food is gone, we will give you dessert". He would go and dump is food in the garbage and say, "all done".
We thought about this and realized the problem was in our phrasing so we switched to "When you EAT all your dinner, we will give you dessert".
Now we just get crying, screaming, Liam going into his room and throwing toys, but he still will not finish his dinner. (Often as easy as eating two apple slices).
We do not give the kids large portion sizes. We start small and give seconds when requested. I also feel that if you are not hungry enough to eat your dinner, then you are not hungry enough for dessert.
Christian will sometimes just forego dessert because he does not like what we made for dinner. He just shrugs his shoulders and walks away from the table.
I have been listening to some Parenting with Love and Logic programs and I know that Liam's initial reaction is much more normal then Christian's. Liam seems to just lock down and hold on to his decision not to eat no matter what and he still seems to think we will change our mind and cancel the rule.
I have the CD on dealing with power struggles coming from the library soon, maybe that will have some nuggets of wisdom.
Until then, I am glad that I did not give in on Christmas day even though I looked stern and brutal to others while I enjoyed my dessert and Liam screamed and cried. It may take several Christmas dinners for Liam to get this one. But David and I will stand firm. Eat your Dinner if you want dessert.

3 comments:

Char said...

Oh, very cute blinkie! I have not ever tried to make one. I think I'm blinkie challenged. :-)

Jeannette said...

Wow, MY Liam is the exact same way. lol Mine is 5. How old is yours? When you come up with a plan that works, share it because I'm at a loss, too. :-)

DawnMarch said...

Those eating issues are always tough ones. You are right that consistency is the key -- so stick to your rules. They are reasonable and the kids will learn to deal, one way or another!