Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
WWND? re kid discipline
A major problem I have with N is trying to keep him out of my things in my bathroom. (Yeah, it's going to be really fun when we down size to an apartment with only one bathroom in a few weeks). He is constantly trying to get into my stuff: the make up, my perfume, lotions, fingernail polish. I was on the phone last night for 15 minutes and when I got off, my bathroom was trashed. Red nail polish and bronze eye shadow everywhere. Even on the dog. He completely ruined two bottles of nail polish, three eye shadows, and trashed two bath mats. It took me almost an hour to get it cleaned up and I ended up just throwing out the bath mats.
I immediately put him in time out. Made him turn off the movie he was (supposedly) watching. Forced him to endure a body scrubbing to get the nail polish off of him. Stuck him in the bath and sent him to bed early. Annnnnd... I also told him he has to pay me back for the things he ruined. Now I'm thinking that part was just dumb. He doesn't really have any concept of money. The only way he'll be able to "pay me back" is to give me $20 out of the $100 my dad sends him ever year... ie, he still gets to spend $80 which will still buy him a ton of stuff so whoo-hoo! Plus by the time he gets that check it will be too far removed from the incident for him to connect it. Or will it?
WWND?
Re: WWND? re kid discipline
I am a big believer in natural consequences, so instead of making him pay you back I would probably make him clean it up. I know that is even more work because you basically still have to clean up after he is "done" and have to endure the agony of making a kid clean, but I think it is something he can grasp as a consequence. If I make a mess in my bathroom I have to clean it up, the maid-fairy doesn't come along and take care of it for me. The goal is that you put in the extra headache a couple times and he doesn't continue to destroy your bathroom for the next year.
I don't see anything wrong with using the money to replace the items and telling him so, but I don't know if it will make enough of an impact to get him to think twice before next time.
Hopefully you can get your bathroom demon to chill out before you have to share a bathroom with him! GL!
This.
Yes,I'm smiling...I'm a marathoner!
Bloggy McBloggerson
CO Nestie Award Winner-Prettiest Brain-Back to Back!
2011 Bests
5K-22:49 10K-47:38 Half Mary-1:51:50
2012 Race Report
1/1-New Year's 5K-22:11
2/11-Sweetheart Classic 4-mile-29:49
3/24-Coulee Chase 5K-21:40
5/6-Colorado Marathon-4:08:30
5/28-Bolder Boulder 10K
I know that V definitely remembers naughty things she has done long after the fact, but she has no concept of money. I think giving up an important toy or game for a short period would have more of an effect on him than the money - or let him use the money to buy things, but then wait a week before he can have them.
Katie Talks About...
I would first make him clean up the mess, that's what I did with G last night when he got water all over the bathroom from his bath. He had to clean it up before he could go put on his pajamas.
I would also take away a few toys and make him earn them back to pay you back for the items he ruined. I'm a mean mom.