Just yesterday alone, Michael:
- Threw his dinosaur at me when we got to McDonald's (at his request of course)
- Hit his younger than him friend Ryan and caused him to cry.
- Rammed a car into his older than him friend and caused him to cry.
- Ran completely far away from me at the mall and I had to YELL at him to come back. I was THAT mom.
- Came home and sprayed water all over his Dad while he was wearing his dry clean only work clothes.
This all coupled with the fact that he's been not listening to his teacher at school and was placed in time out for making "bad choices" with this new little girl he's been hanging out with named Kylee (which I have found out regularly does not get a sticker for being well behaved). Michael has not gotten a good sticker for good behavior the last 3 days he's been to school.
Reactions to above bullets:
- Got back in the car and did not have lunch at McDonalds, but where I wanted to go.
- Got put in time out for hitting.
- Got put in time out for not being kind.
- Had to hold my hand the rest of the time we were in the mall and could not run around with his friends if he could not behave himself, stay close, and listen. No freedom for you buddy.
- Got sent to his room.
We were supposed to go see Rio today at the movies, but after his behavior at school, that was cancelled. And I told him there would be no Wii, no computer games, no TV until he went back to having good behavior at school and getting a sticker on his chart for doing so.
SIGH.
All this is definitely in correlation to 2 things: 1) Lack of sleep - he's been going to bed some nights at 10pm (You can thank Brian for that) and he hasn't been getting regular naps (you can thank Mom for that). 2) Increase in "screen" time - I've been a bit lax about TV/Computer games on weekdays.
All this definitely compounds to the behavior above. And while it is no excuse for it, we still discipline regardless.
Which brings me back to having to raise an accountable person now. And teaching him to choose his friends correctly. He asked to have Kylee over today and I said, most certainly not. And that he should be a good influence and example by behaving and not partaking in disobeying.
He had a stern lecture over all of this. I realize at 4.5, it seems a bit young, but I remember my parents being strict and hard on me - with high expectations of my behavior, manners, and school. I remember getting lectures about not "losing face" and making them look badly or embarrassing them. I remember getting into big trouble in public and having to come home and get on my knees and apologize for my disappointing behavior. And do I look back at that with disdain? Absolutely not. I look back at that and am glad my parents made me accountable and instilled a precedent for acceptable behavior.
I instill the same in Michael and if that's being "hard-assed," then so be it. Do I still love on him? Absolutely. Do I still spend time with him doing things he enjoys? Yes! I'm not taking away family fun time activities (games/etc) - I am taking away activities that aren't that beneficial to begin with and apparently are attributing to his poor behavior.
SIGH.
