We're working HARD at getting Melinda to help prepare dinner without snitching food. Difficult given the examples she has to watch. "Do as I say! Not as I do." She's also fond of that little bit of food, right before dinner.
Tonight, after she helped me set the table - "You can do the silverware, Dad." she snuck up on a helpless bag of cherry tomatoes (I kid you not, she'll sit down and eat a pint - by herself). Noting her intent, I informed her that she could ask:
Dad: Melinda, if you want a tomato, please say, "Dad, may I have a tomato please."
Melinda: Dad, may I get myself a tomato please?
Dad: Here, you may have this one.
Melinda: I want to pick my OWN tomato.
Dad: If you want a tomato, you can have this one.
<5 minute discussion about being grateful and saying thank you when you get a little treat, rather than throwing a fit when you don't get things exactly your way.
Conversation ends with Melinda not taking the one I offered, but electing, instead, to cry and sulk outside.>
At dinner time, I decided to try to mend fences by offering to split a big tomato with her. She's amenable to the notion.
I cut up the tomato and asked her to bring it to the table and NOT HAVE ANY.
Dad: Please put this on the table, and don't have any
Melinda: OK
Dad: HEY! Please don't have any!
Melinda: It was calling my name. "Melindaaaaa."
As dinner progressed Melinda served herself a couple helpings of tomato (and nothing else).
Melinda: Dad, you can have these last three pieces of tomato
(15 seconds)
Melinda: Dad, you can have these two pieces of tomato.
(15 seconds)
Melinda: Dad, you can have this last piece of tomato.
(10 seconds)
Melinda: Dad, are you going to eat that?
---
Tracey's folks took Melinda for an overnight this weekend. We, of course, painted. In just over a year, we've painted 6 rooms in the house. That works out to one every two months. Nevermind that there was a 8 month stretch where we did NOTHING, and a six week (just ending) stretch where we did three.
We've moved the guest room, the office and the playroom and are pretty happy with the results. Julianne and Todd (and Elise and Collin) are coming this weekend (we've got some cleaning to do).
Gretchen enjoys the time alone. It's not so much having two parents to play with, it's being able to play uninterrupted as Tracey found out to her chagrin. Gretchen's speach is not too good, but she can get her point across by grunting.
Tracey: Gretchen, do you want to play with Mommy?
Gretchen: Uh huh [No]
Tracey: Gretchen, can I sit here and play with you?
Gretchen: Uh huh [No]
Tracey: Gretchen, do you want me to leave so you can play legos [her favorite] by yourself?
Gretchen: Uh huh [YES]
Tracey:
Happy weekend all.
Rob
Tonight, after she helped me set the table - "You can do the silverware, Dad." she snuck up on a helpless bag of cherry tomatoes (I kid you not, she'll sit down and eat a pint - by herself). Noting her intent, I informed her that she could ask:
Dad: Melinda, if you want a tomato, please say, "Dad, may I have a tomato please."
Melinda: Dad, may I get myself a tomato please?
Dad: Here, you may have this one.
Melinda:
Dad: If you want a tomato, you can have this one.
<5 minute discussion about being grateful and saying thank you when you get a little treat, rather than throwing a fit when you don't get things exactly your way.
Conversation ends with Melinda not taking the one I offered, but electing, instead, to cry and sulk outside.>
At dinner time, I decided to try to mend fences by offering to split a big tomato with her. She's amenable to the notion.
I cut up the tomato and asked her to bring it to the table and NOT HAVE ANY.
Dad: Please put this on the table, and don't have any
Melinda: OK
Dad: HEY! Please don't have any!
Melinda: It was calling my name. "Melindaaaaa."
As dinner progressed Melinda served herself a couple helpings of tomato (and nothing else).
Melinda: Dad, you can have these last three pieces of tomato
(15 seconds)
Melinda: Dad, you can have these two pieces of tomato.
(15 seconds)
Melinda: Dad, you can have this last piece of tomato.
(10 seconds)
Melinda: Dad, are you going to eat that?
---
Tracey's folks took Melinda for an overnight this weekend. We, of course, painted. In just over a year, we've painted 6 rooms in the house. That works out to one every two months. Nevermind that there was a 8 month stretch where we did NOTHING, and a six week (just ending) stretch where we did three.
We've moved the guest room, the office and the playroom and are pretty happy with the results. Julianne and Todd (and Elise and Collin) are coming this weekend (we've got some cleaning to do).
Gretchen enjoys the time alone. It's not so much having two parents to play with, it's being able to play uninterrupted as Tracey found out to her chagrin. Gretchen's speach is not too good, but she can get her point across by grunting.
Tracey: Gretchen, do you want to play with Mommy?
Gretchen: Uh huh [No]
Tracey: Gretchen, can I sit here and play with you?
Gretchen: Uh huh [No]
Tracey: Gretchen, do you want me to leave so you can play legos [her favorite] by yourself?
Gretchen: Uh huh [YES]
Tracey:
Happy weekend all.
Rob
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