Smart Discipline

I went to a great lecture about a month ago called Smart Discipline. It was all about how to discipline your children without yelling and with a lot less frustration. I was so excited as I sat and listened to how making a chart could change our lives. Basically it was all about getting them to take responsibility for their actions! Sounds good, right?!! For children 8 and younger, you make a chart with 8 squares. The first three squares are blank and those are their warnings. In the other five squares you put something that gets taken away if they break a rule, put whatever is important to them, such as TV or video games, in those boxes. Every time they break a rule they get an X on a square and if there is a privilege in that box it gets taken away. The chart starts over everyday. I was so nervous about starting this but after about 5 weeks we are still going strong. Most of the time Ellie tells me she gets an X before I tell her. Has it improved her behavior 100%? Nope, but it has given her consequences for her actions and I foresee us doing this a long time. Here is the website if anybody wants more information http://www.smartdiscipline.com/

I also want to give a little update on what Emily is up to.....everything. You forget how curious they are at this age (10 1/2 months). She has 6 teeth now and is crawling everywhere, including the stairs. She says several words now but her favorite is cracker. Every time I get close to the pantry she says it. It is so cute!!! She is going to be my little screamer. If she doesn't get her way she squeals like crazy but I imagine that won't be cute much longer. Here is a picture of her with dad.