I am trying to decide if I am a genius or just a bad mom. You see mornings have been a problem around here since the day Alonzo started kindergarten. I don't understand how a kid that can crawl out of bed at o-dark-thirty on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons can take so long to get up dressed and ready for school during the week. Now multiply that time by three since his little brothers are school aged as well. We have gradually moved the time they get up earlier and earlier until they are getting up well over an hour before they need to leave for school and we are still struggling to get out the door on time. Then one sleep deprived morning last week in a fit of desperation I announced that if they would just get ready by 7:30 they could watch Scooby Doo before we went to school. Like magic I suddenly had 3 neatly dressed kids ready to watch TV. They even made their beds and cleared the breakfast dishes without me nagging. They asked if they were ready by 7:30 could they watch Scooby tomorrow? I said sure, why not? For a week now they have gotten up dressed, made their beds, brushed their teeth, cleared the table and appear slightly earlier each morning ready for a Scooby cartoon. There has only been one day where they didn't make it and they got stuck reading until it was time to leave. This morning I even heard Colin telling his brothers to "Pick up the pace." So my question is am I a genius or am I a terrible mom for letting the kids watch TV during the school week?
Friday, January 22, 2010
Good Mom or Bad Mom?
I am trying to decide if I am a genius or just a bad mom. You see mornings have been a problem around here since the day Alonzo started kindergarten. I don't understand how a kid that can crawl out of bed at o-dark-thirty on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons can take so long to get up dressed and ready for school during the week. Now multiply that time by three since his little brothers are school aged as well. We have gradually moved the time they get up earlier and earlier until they are getting up well over an hour before they need to leave for school and we are still struggling to get out the door on time. Then one sleep deprived morning last week in a fit of desperation I announced that if they would just get ready by 7:30 they could watch Scooby Doo before we went to school. Like magic I suddenly had 3 neatly dressed kids ready to watch TV. They even made their beds and cleared the breakfast dishes without me nagging. They asked if they were ready by 7:30 could they watch Scooby tomorrow? I said sure, why not? For a week now they have gotten up dressed, made their beds, brushed their teeth, cleared the table and appear slightly earlier each morning ready for a Scooby cartoon. There has only been one day where they didn't make it and they got stuck reading until it was time to leave. This morning I even heard Colin telling his brothers to "Pick up the pace." So my question is am I a genius or am I a terrible mom for letting the kids watch TV during the school week?
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8 comments:
Nothing wrong with positive reinforcement...though I'm a dog owner with now children, so that should give you a little idea about where I'm coming from.
PURE GENIUS!!! Absolutely a great Mama! If they are that hard to get up and get going, what does it hurt to watch a little Scoob?!
And now I am SO thankful that mine *mostly* pop up and get ready (beds tidied, teeth brushed - i do the hair still), without much fuss. :)
i agree with jae. PURE genius. i may have to give that a try - - but i will add NO WHINING BEFORE MOM HAS HAD A FULL CUP OF COFFEE (or after).
To avoid being whined at before coffee David and I get up 20 minutes before the kids JUST to have coffee, otherwise their morning antics could make my head explode.
I'm with the PURE GENIUS camp! Great job, Mom!
And it's still snowing on your blog! That's so cool! Mine only snows till the first week of January--a wordpress thing.
Great idea! This is the only time mine get weekday TV, I also have the rule that every one must be ready before the TV goes on. I'm also very mean in the afternoons as there is no TV or any electronic devices until the entire weeks home work is finished (all 3 kids!)
I've been seeing some wonderful images of your next posting, it looks like an amazing place, I can't wait to see all your photos and hear all about it!
Glad to know the consensus is genius not slacker mom, but either way it is working.
@Jen- I don't let the kids watch TV or play video games during the school week, if they finish up everything they can play with their toys and friends.
@Planet Nomad- I am glad blogger didn't cut off my snow since my blog matches the weather outside. The more it snows here the more excited I get about Malawi. I am NOT a cold weather kinda a gal.
I love it too!! I think rewards are so much better than mutual suffering!!!
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