Letters to Holly

Friday, December 7

Bribery

We've taken to bribing the deputy to train him.

He stopped feeding himself at home a few weeks back. We had just moved him to the antique high chair from your grandmother and let him eat at the counter or table. When he stopped feeding himself, we threatened to move him back to what we now call the "baby chair." He's become aware of the privileges of the older kids at daycare, and we tell him he has to earn those things. Also, he can lose his current privileges if he backslides. He didn't respond well to the high-chair threat, so I went the other direction. I bought him a ten-pack of cars and told him he could have one each day he feeds himself dinner. That worked immediately. It still takes him way too long to eat, but we cut back his TV distraction to help that.

Your Sister bought an advent calendar, and I called an audible: He would get each day's chocolate if he fed himself. He doesn't automatically get advent candy because it's Christmas. He'll never know. But I moved the car reward to potty training. I set down the bargain each day: If he uses the potty and we have to flush something, he gets a car. Worked like gangbusters last night, and we wants to call himself potty-trained.

The daycare uses M&Ms to train the kids, and I told him I have no problem with this, unlike some parents. He's not getting fat; he runs way too much. Not me, unfortunately, and it's starting to show. I got to get out there again.

He sings pieces of songs, he throws small tantrums, he likes to dive onto furniture. He's a boy.

Picture of the Day
What do you get a jedi for Christmas?