After trudging through the first get-my-kids-to-stop-being-little-shits book, this is what I learned:
1. Be 100% consistent in your behavior.
2. Don't give warnings. The kids need to hear it once, listen to it, and act on it the first time.
3. Always follow through with what you say you will do.
4. Don't threaten the kids. You don't mean it, and you can't follow through with it.
5. Respond. Don't react. Use actions, not words.
6. Don't get angry. Don't let the kids control your mood.
7. Keep positive. Even when things SUCK!
And doesn't all of this seem so incredibly obvious?! So obvious that both Caleb and I have violated each of these rules at least once every 3 minutes of our parenting career. But no more! I'm taking a stand against my tyrants, and it begins today! The author said these changes will initially make things worse before they get better. But, well, the old way of doing things was getting us nowhere, so...
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