Discipline

L had his 6 year checkup Friday.  No problem.  Just taking 5 kids for a brief checkup, no shots.  How hard could it be.  Well, it was fine until they told him to get undressed to his underwear.  Not sure what it was about that request, but my poor kid just freaked.  He absolutely refused to get undressed.  He screamed, cried, tensed up, held his clothes tight and went on strike.  I had to physically manhandle him to take his clothes off.  Ugh. I wanted to crawl under a rock and hide.

The behavior continued as the nurse tried to get his blood pressure and other vitals, especially his weight.  Let's just say that his Halloween candy is now in the circular file.  After the doctor came in and did his exam, he asked, "well, he's very healthy. Do you have any concerns?"

"Um, no, not besides his behavior.  I mean, he's perfect in school, but you heard what just happened."

The doctor questioned me about how I discipline my children.  6 minutes of timeout because he's 6, that's what Nanny Joe Joe on Super Nanny does.

"Oh no!  That's why he's so good at school and not at home.  He's afraid of the consequences there, but he doesn't really care that he sits in timeout for 6 measly minutes at home."  He proceeds to tell me that being in time out in the same room I'm in is punishment for me, not for him.  You know what?  He's right!  So, how do I fix it?

Here's the prescription:

1. Remove all books and toys from the bedroom
2. When the child misbehaves (J or L) or doesn't listen the 1st time he/she is told to do something, its time for a timeout, no leniency.
3. Timeouts are 15 minutes long, occur in their bedroom and the time does not begin until they calm down.

I was informed that my children will hate me for the next several weeks, but in 3 months time, if I tell them to do something, they will just look at me and know I mean business.  Really?!  That sounds so promising and EXCELLENT!  Yay!

When everyone wakes up today, I am taking garbage bags to their rooms and removing all books and toys.  The rooms will become places of rest, dress and punishment.  If there is time, we will go through said bags and pull out toys for the rubbish bin and for donation to the local EOTC.  I am hoping to get this all accomplished today, but with a Q that was very needy today, a C with a croupy cough at night, and a vomiting J, I'm not so sure how far we'll get.  Either way, there's no time like the present!

Here's hoping this medicine cures our ailment!