Naughty or Nice

These past few weeks...where do I begin? It's been a little rough around here. Benjamin and Peter have been especially awful, and I've tried about everything; taking away privileges, time outs, taking them aside for one-on-one time, lessons about kindness and Christlike behavior...oh, and maybe also some threats about Santa not coming this year. But it seems like every time I'd turn around, they were fighting about who got the blue bowl, who got to sit where, who got to turn on the Christmas lights, who had the toy first, who gets to use the sink first, and on and on and on!! I believe they're good kids who know how to choose the right. I know this is a phase and it will pass. And I know I'm not alone in this at all - right? Right?!?

So yesterday, I remembered this pin I saw (it was actually about kids leaving their things on the floor, but I tailored it to fit my needs), and decided to try it out.

Source: madsmemories.blogspot.com via Sarah on Pinterest

I explained to the boys that if they fought over a toy, it would have to go to the "Time Out Box," and that they couldn't see it again until they had done something to earn it back. So far, it seems to be working. They haven't attempted to earn anything back yet, but I can see them working things out before they explode at each other. Progress!

The other thing we've been doing is adding "straws" to "Jesus' manger" whenever we do something nice for someone else this month. The goal is to make baby Jesus' manger soft before He comes on Christmas. This was a tradition I had growing up that I wanted to pass on, and so far, Benjamin has been the most excited about it.

Honestly, a lot of it has to do with Peter. He is a sensitive little guy, and is at an especially volatile stage right now. He can be so sweet and cooperative one moment, then a complete terror the next. This past Sunday, we went to our monthly fast and testimony church meeting, and he really wanted to go up to the microphone. Since I was wrestling with all three kids at that moment, I asked Paul to take him up there. He did, and Peter told everyone about how he likes to read the scriptures every day and that he knows that Jesus loves him. It's moments like these that I live for! Of course, by nursery, he was kicking and screaming because he wanted a particular chair that another boy was sitting in. Primary is just a few weeks away. :)