Super Why, Martha Speaks, Curious George, Clifford, Sid the Science Kid, and Caillou. These are my kids' favorite shows to watch and I finally got smart enough to check out the website. Now it's PBS Kids MADNESS at our house! They have the pleasure of entering a Disney-like virtual world at the touch of a mouse (accidental pun!). So computer time is in highest demand ever at our house, which means that I can now easily "motivate" them to do anything I need them to do. "As soon as you clean up your mess you may play PBS kids", "As soon as you are dressed you may play PBS kids". Of course I do have to limit it to 30 minutes a day but if I allowed it, they would play all day and I could enjoy total peace and quiet in my room reading a book. When one of them is playing, the others actually sit and watch so it usually occupies them all! It's tempting sometimes.
The rule is that PBS kids may be played only after school. Problem is, this started a whole lot of bickering over who gets to go first. This was the dialogue on the way home a few days ago:
Jack: Mom, can I play PBS kids when I get home?
Sydney: Hey! I asked first!
Me: (trying to be all love and logic about it) Well you both asked me and you can both play. Together you can decide who will go first.
Jack: I pick.......................ME!
Sydney: NO! I want to go first!
One more "no, I want to go first" back and forth, followed by a few moments of silence...then I heard this coming from the back seat:
Jack: (in fake Sydney voice) "Ok, Jack can go first."
Jack again: Mom, Sydney said she wants me to go first!!!
Sydney: MOM! Jack told a fib so that he could go first! He said that I said he could go first and I didn't say that!
I had to think of a plan B because this was getting nowhere.
Me: OK, here's the deal. Whoever goes second gets 10 bonus minutes! So first person, 15 mintues and second person 25 minutes.
Sydney: I'll go second.
Jack: Hee heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Done. Both were happy. Except for Jack when his time was up. :)
Now I wonder...maybe Jack shouldn't have been able to play at all for telling a fib? Ugh! There are no easy answers but thank you "Parenting With Love and Logic" for the inspiration! We no longer have arguments about it. Sydney has been letting Jack go first and is learning how much better it is to save the best for last. But what is Jack learning?
**Special Update: I JUST picked Jack up from school and the first thing he said was "Hey mom, Sydney can go first today." Then we picked Sydney up and as she climbed into the car Jack told her the news. For a moment they were both happy. And then Jack leaned in towards her and with a wicked grin, said "You get to play for a little bit, and I get to play.....more than you." He had the biggest twinkle in his eye.
Then I got to hear Sydney hollering and Jack repeating, almost singing, "I get to play longer" all the way home.
So we're back to good old-fashioned coin flipping.
5 comments:
that story is awesome Deann! i love it! :) Seriously put a smile on my face!
They are funny. We love computer time at my house too. I actually have to set a timer to go off, so that one knows when their turn is up and the other one's turn is starting.
Deann your kids are hilarious. And I'm cracking up because as I'm reading this I hear their cute voices in my head. I can so hear Sydney saying "mom Jack told a fib"!
Deann, your blog is adorable. This post made me laugh out loud. Sometimes we have to get creative when reasoning with our sweet kids. What a great mom you are! This week I discovered the joys of using computer time as a reward. It is like magic. I have to time it also or Jessica will gladly play all day. We also LOVE PBS. Who wouldn't love a talking dog? Martha is our favorite. So thanks for the tip. I am going to check out their website now.
I read the love and logic book-- it's great and I use it all the time. I also have to set the timer so they can hear the "beep" go off and know that it's someone else's turn. You are a great mom and even though I've never met your kids-- I can tell that they are as wonderful as you are!!! Hope you guys are enjoying your Holidays!!! What's your address?
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