Thursday, August 10, 2006

Routine? What Routine?

It's been crazy in our house the last week or so. Swimming lessons are over, day camp has wrapped up and the woman down the street who looks after our two youngest from time to time is taking a three week, kids free vacation.

It wasn't too long ago when we had all three kids at home all day and we managed for the most part. Then, last year, my oldest daugher Neva started school full-time and the prospect of uninterrupted time to do what it is we do, seemed to be much closer.

With three long weeks of summer vacation still ahead of us, reality has set in. We have joined that league of parents who wait with great anticipation for that first day of school.

Happy sweeping!

Bob Gunther
Webmaster, ContestHound.com

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Gotta Hand it to Him ...

I learned a good discipline motto from a close friend of mine when my oldest daughter was a toddler. Whenever her little one would hit, she'd tell him, "Hands are for helping."

I've been using this gem for 6 years now and all my kids have heard it. In fact I use it daily. I've even added extras ("...and holding and hugging") and listed the exclusions ("...not hitting or hurting," and, most recently, "... or pinching or scratching...").

Until recently, this rule has gone unquestioned, uncontested. The other day, I was scolding my 4-year-old son Milo (who’s had his fair share of these warnings!) for scratching his sister in retribution for some minor transgression.

Milo, you know hands are for helping. Not hurting or hitting or pinching or scratching."

He looked at his hands and clearly saw they had done nothing wrong. "What are fingers for?" he asked. "Poking?"

Happy sweeping!

Kathleen Gunther
Editor, ContestHound.com