so I found out E's been peeking.....

[joyah]

now what? I'm really mad that he did this and then threw it in my face. This is all over the wii balancer well i thought he said balance board which was hidden sort of and not far away from the other. I'm really considering being a "bad mom" to teach him a lesson. NIETHER on of them have been good for the last 2 weeks I'm talking fighting taken to a whole new level.

I know all kids do it but he went into our bedroom to retrieve the cap gun that had been taken away for being direspectful. I'm seriously thinking they both need a lesson. any bright ideas without totally killing the holiday?

 

[rlovew]

Could you keep back the big gifts(or at least the ones he has seen) until after everything has been opened? Maybe send them on a scavenger/do good hunt to get them. Have a note or something that comes out after the other gifts saying something like- I have seen you haven't been so good lately- there are a few more gifts(or however many) and so I am giving you an extra chance- if you can completely this chore hunt you can have the rest. Then send them somewhere to do an extra chore and have them do as many as you feel they should before they end up wherever you put the presents you saved out.

Possible Chores:
picking up all the paper/scraps from gift opening and taking out the trash
washing dishes
cooking breakfast
cleaning up a bedroom
giving each other compliments

Rebecca

 

[wdwmickey]

DH loves Rebecca's chore idea--he says to add some labor intensive shores like scrubbing floors or scrubbing out the tub, shoveling the walk anything that uses muscles.

Christy--I'm so sorry the boys are acting up I know it makes you feel like a bad mom, but, all of us know you are a great mom I'm sure they'll "grow out of it" eventually. In the meantime you may want to do what we do and assess "fines" of either money or extra chores when their behavior isn't "up to snuff". We have discovered that good hard work improves our girls attitude much faster than taking something away--but that's just my kids, all kids are different.

Hope your day improves and don't let them steal your Christmas joy!

 

[joyah]

It wasn't hard to steal the joy this year and I think that is what is hurting the most. gram wasn't just tom's she was like my own. It was hard enough trying to hold up for everyone (Alice has broken down on me, Tom has, my parents have) and I'm still the rock of gilbrata. This was the final straw. I'm trying so hard to pull myself together before anyone comes in and finds me in a puddle of tears. Wrapping is put off till after mass tonight.

I love the hunting idea have to see what I can do with that. The chores are a great idea too but they already do so many of them (no choice they live on a farm) that it would be hard to come up with more.

we have to be at moms in an hour so I think i'm going to take a hot shower some deep breaths and pray that the christmas spirit smack me up side the head shortly.

thank you both for you help I never thought raising kids would be a walk in the park i just never thought it would be this trying all at once.

cheryl more i think about it scrubbing the tub is a good one. maybe there will be a letter from santa saying that he needs to do this because he had been naughty

 

[hopemax]

I was a peeker, growing up. Honestly, the worst thing about it and why I stopped was because there were no surprises. So the gifts they know about, I would just stick them under the tree with no wrap, because, "1. What's the point,you already know," 2. It's "green," 3. It seems lots of people on the DIS get unwrapped gifts as tradition, so it's not a major holiday ruining thing. And it saves you time and stress by not having to wrap.

 

[Lisa]

I like the idea of a chore hunt too. You aren't making the activity a fun game, there are chores to do, and it is teaching them they need to walk the straight line and giving them another chance to learn the lesson of NO Peeking!!

 

[PinballFamily]

I was a peeker, growing up. Honestly, the worst thing about it and why I stopped was because there were no surprises. So the gifts they know about, I would just stick them under the tree with no wrap, because, "1. What's the point,you already know," 2. It's "green," 3. It seems lots of people on the DIS get unwrapped gifts as tradition, so it's not a major holiday ruining thing. And it saves you time and stress by not having to wrap.

I was a peeker too - for a while. But, Hope is right. This truly hurts the peeker because the excitement isn't there the way it "should" be. Try not to stress too much about it.

 

[morgansmom2000]

My possible future son-in-law has been disrespectful and is now PEEKING!? Oh my goodness...

Christy, I can imagine it's incredibly difficult without Gram. You are the strong one because you can handle it. You are the one they turn to because they can count on you. As much as you want to crumble, I know you won't because so many people (those who miss her just as much as you) depend on you. Take a walk and talk to her. What would she do in this situation? Trust her to send you on the right path.

You are not a bad mom. You're a *great* mom!

 

[LindaBabe]

No advice Christy - Just a hug! But I like the idea of not wrapping what was already seen.

 

[joyah]

thanks ladies! Only E saw now I don't know if he told his brother or not. He knows that he hurt me and while it bothered him he's right back at his antics. PLEASE tell me this is a stage!! L has been a bit better his father has been working him! no time to get into mischiff.

will update you all on what I decide at some point. Definately anything he saw wont be wrapped and I told him so. WOW it set him off when i told him I don't waste time wrapping what peekers saw. Cried

off to get them wrapping paper.

 

[LindaBabe]

It's a stage. The cusp of 'leftover little boy' transitioning to too cool 'grownup wannabe'.

 

[Ericandjenng]

Hi, Haven't met you before but the fact that it bothers you is a really good sign that you're a GREAT mom!! All kids go through phases and like to test their limits. In the end, it only matters that you love them whether they're peekers or not.

Show him the NORAD Santa Tracker...it's pretty cool. Let's you know where Santa is during Christmas eve. http://www.noradsanta.org/en/index.html

 

[ZeroToHero]

I was a peeker too - for a while. But, Hope is right. This truly hurts the peeker because the excitement isn't there the way it "should" be. Try not to stress too much about it.

Still am...... harder this year though, considering I wasn't there, and I ended up helping pick out a lot of my gifts.

 

[joyah]

thank you all it means so much to me to have the support I get here.

So this am when they got up they awoke to a major surprise. not ONE gift had a name on it (other than what they had wrapped to tom and I) there was color coded paper and they had to work together to figure out who's paper was whose. Levi thought it was a blast (thank god cause I didn't want to punish him) while Eric was quite priturbed . Then there was paper for stuff for the two of them together.

We also held back 2 gifts till tonight as everyone was getting ready to go. I'd really thought about the hunting but was to tired to pull it off. They did all the chores this am (levi did them cause dad asked him to not as a punishment he could have helped in the kitchen) plus Eric had to pick up ALL the trash by himself and carry his stuff and Levi's stuff out of the living room.

We've also brought out the mean mommy everytime something is done i "cuff" them just enough to remind them I'm done no more. I hate this mommy but usually after a week she can go back in the closet.

Thank you all again.

 

[wdwmickey]

It sounds like you handled it perfectly Christy

Glad your family had a nice day!