Choices

We believe in choices at our house. It seems to be the most effective way of getting our boys to do what we want them to do. For instance, when Will or Isaac are whining for a treat, and I give them one, they almost inevitably will say, "I want two!" Here is where the choice comes in. I reply with, "You may have one or none. What do you choose?" They are no dummies and always choose the more desirable choice. It is all how you phrase it though. One has to be more desirable than the other, and you have to make sure as the parent that no matter which they choose you are okay with going along with it, and you must!

Will has begun making choices for Josh and I when he isn't getting the kind of behavior or responses from us that he is desiring. Here are two examples from the last two days.

#1 Sunday night we were getting ready for bed and Will was dragging his feet. I told him that he needed to choose two books to read now, and that we were going to bed. He said that he wanted to watch a movie downstairs and go to sleep on the couch. Time for choices!

Me: Will, you may choose two books and we will read them and then go to bed, OR we will skip reading and go straight to bed. What do you choose?

Will's response as he climbs onto Josh's lap and grabs his face to turn it so they are looking directly into each other's eyes: Daddy, (not mommy, she isn't rational) here are your choices. You can put me up in my bed where I will be very noisy and not go to sleep, or you can put me downstairs where I will watch a movie very quietly. What do you choose?

#2 This morning I had made breakfast, and everyone but Will was still sleeping. I sent Will up to get Josh to come down and eat, but apparently he met some resistance from the sleeping daddy, because it resulted in choices.

Will: Daddy, you can either stay in bed and sleep for a very long time, and not go to work, and make us lose our house, OR you can come and eat, and go to work, and we can keep our house. You choose!

He is a clever one!