At our house we are constantly learning the process of cause and effect or action and consequences. For the most part it is positive.
Action: Do your chores early and correctly.
Consequence: You get the rest of the day to play.
Action: Play nice and share.
But for some reason no matter how conclusive good action leading to good consequences are my children still insist on seeing if the same concatenation of events holds true for the negative.
Action: Two of my lovely sweet daughters started yelling at each other yesterday morning fighting over a computer game.
Action:
Last night I went downstairs to check all the doors and make sure lights were all off before heading to bed. What did I find? Bon Bon, Semisweet, and Brownie all laying on the bed watching Chronicles of Narnia on the little portable TV – over an hour past their bedtime. Granted it wasn’t that big of a deal but there are consequences to not following the rules.
Action: If they are slow learners…
Consequences: I predict my whole house will be reorganized and cleaned thoroughly by the end of next week. About three months ahead of schedule.
Sidenote:My material closet is 4 feet wide and two feet deep. Every shelf is loaded with fabric. All four of our sewing machines fill up the floor of the closet. Sewing heaven!
On of our mom’s favorite punishments used to be to clean out the fridge. This meant not only sorting out all the blue-velvet leftovers (unidentifiable as food yet not suitable for your fabric closet), but also washing all the random stickiness off the glass jars, cleaning the shelves and walls, organizing, etc. It certainly produced greater organization…and much incentive not to do whatever it was again.
way to go with the consequences! certainly one way to get those cupboards cleaned up too.
You sure know how to pick good consequences! One day my daughter had to clean out and organize all my kitchen drawers which was great for me but the problem was she had too much fun doing it! She totally got into it and went above and beyond what I had asked her to do!
Isn’t it great when the consequence (for a good or bad action) benefits mom? Happy kids or an organized house, or both.
maybe this is a Latin thing because my mil used to do the same, especially if her children were fighting. Her closets were always REALLY tidy. 🙂
Oh my–it’s funny how your children’s disobedience makes your projects get done faster…
Love it! I’m going to have to borrow that idea….I need a clean and organized house.
But then again, my kids beg me to let them clean things anyway (weird, I know). One time I did jokingly threaten cleaning toilets for something and Jordan was like, “OK!” We were at grandma’s over Thanksgiving, and he was upset that she cleaned the toilets herself the next day, so we had to let him do it again.
Somehow I don’t think this system would work for me.
love these consequences… an organized fabric closet is WONDERFUL!
Ha ha ha, I love this! Now, if I had my daughter do this she would whine, complain, and do an awful job. What would you recommend I do?
I am so going to be taking a page from your book and having the kids organize the house now as an additional consequence…as the old taking things away doesn’t quite cut it all of the time.
Thanks 🙂
Okay, I am begging my pals for a bit of help today and this week. I entered a poetry contest, part of my writing goal, and am asking you pop here: http://wannabeawritersomeday.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-am-entering-poetry-contest-yikes-and.html and if you like what you read, think about following the link at the end of the post and voting for me.
Thanks a bunch.
Your pal, Penelope
Montse…you are inspiring! I love to read your blog!
So great. I’ll have to try that with my little ones…What a comfort to know that I’m not the only one with occasionally disobedient children!
Look at all that glorious fabric!!!
Oh my gosh–you are a genius! I can’t wait to try this!