relationship with my kiddos--week #2

we're making progress here as the shackspack.

we still fight, yell, and are rude, but the tone is beginning to change a bit.

and

there ARE good character traits that my kids possess!

so...i kind of want to poo on my idea for week number two.

this is something that teachers are told to do in the classroom and seriously is so super duper annoying.

but, friends, it's in the curriculum, so i'm doing it.

the 5 to 1 ratio.

give 5 praises before giving 1 criticism.

i admit, i'm not that great at this in my classroom either...i just got a cueing report on myself back that was less than stellar.

what does that 5 to 1 ratio look like?

here's the scene.
a four year old (child #6) is practicing her donkey kicks that she learned in gymnastics class last night in the middle of the rug at circle time.

her good teacher says,
"child #1, i like how you're sitting on the rug."
"child #2, you have such a good listening body."
"child #3, look how your legs are criss-cross applesauce. you're doing a great job."
"child #4, i know you must be listening by the way you are sitting. perfect!"
"wow, look at that everyone, look how child #5 is sitting! isn't she doing a great job?!"

now her good teacher can say in her sing-song voice,
"please sit down with a good listening body, child #6!"

A N N O Y I N G!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

seriously. but...worth a try.

i'm scary

i'm frustrated
i'm crabby
i'm mean
i'm ugly
i'm scary

how can the people i love the most turn me in my very worst? how can the littles that i am more protective of than anything in this world, turn me into a crazy hulk version of lindsay?

i don't know. i just really don't know.

and it has to change. and it starts with me.

anywho, i need some accountability in this.

you probably didn't know, and probably wouldn't have cared if you did, that i am constantly writing curriculums in my head. curriculums for new mothers of babies. curriculums for girls going into adulthood. curriculums for studying certain books of the bible. curriculums for teaching preschoolers their ABC's...(ironically, that's one i actually don't think about) these curriculums are developed off of things that i read or am dealing with and researching. typically. don't get hung up this curriculum writing. i am just an ideas person with no follow through and curriculums in my head are a part of organizing my ideas.

so

i am in process of writing a curriculum, in my head, of course, on sibling rivalry in the home. but, here's the thing with my curriculums; they never change the course of history.
because they never get written down.

i don't have time at this point in my life to actually write it down, but i do have time to outline it and implement it. and hold myself accountable to an audience, even if there's only like 2 of you left.

here it goes:

week 1: learn to love the character of my kids and not their actions. and FOCUS on good characters

instead of spewing, "you're so selfish, all you care about is yourself!" which is not, in fact, a true statement; i need to be quick to praise their positive character traits when they are being used and be generous in pointing out the characters that i love in each of them.

so, that's it so far. week 1. simple. let's do this, lindsay. help me, GOD!