Attitude

Recently we have had abit of an attitude problem with my nine-year old daughter Emily. This evening, after returning home from the pool and heading up the street to see her friend for a minute, she returned home to change out of her bathing suit. However, it was already 8pm, which is late for us, especially since we are trying to get the kids acclimated to earlier hours because of school starting next week. Her father told her that she actually needed to call it a night and was going to need to get a bath and get ready for bed. I followed Josh by saying, "But first, please run up and tell Jacob to come on home."

You would have thought I poured hot acid in her ear.

"I thought I was supposed to get a bath!!! I was going to get in the bath!!" Never mind the fact that she still had one foot out the front door.

I politely told her to get her butt in the bath and I would get her brother, and deal with her in a minute. When I went outside, her friend Danielle, told me should would be more than happy to send Jacob home.

I returned inside to discuss with Emily how her attitude needed adjusting. When she gets upset becasue she is in trouble she begins to almost scream "I am sorry! I didn't know!!" over and over. I told her that I accepted her apology, and she needed to stop, calm down and listen. And then I had nice little talk to her about the need to listen and had she been listening rather than throwing me attitude she would have heard me say that she would actually been given a few more minutes with her frined this evening, while walking back to her house to pick up Jacob. We had a nice chat and it almost seemed to have made an impression. I didn't drone on and on like I normally do and left her to get her shower.

About a half hour later Josh called me into the hallway to point out this:



Here is the note:


After talking to Josh, we decided this might be a little drastic, but we agreed to have no electronics, including her phone, radio, computer, and TV. But only for one week. But she was informed that if we encounter attitude again, the punishment would be extended.

I don't know why, but I think we really got through to her this time.