1,111!

This is my 1,111th post!  That's fun.
It is also 03/20/12, spring equinox.  Yay for springtime!

OK, my three things for the day.

1.  It wasn't a stellar day for me.  I crashed and burned in my no-yelling resolution.  I've been trying to think of different ways I could have handled the situation.  I've been thinking the last several days about the difference in achieving compliance by having undesirable consequences if they choose not to comply, versus inspiring compliance by helping the child want to obey.  Obviously the latter is far more preferable.  Is there a way to inspire a child to *want* to do irksome chores?  I just ordered a book called "A Life Like Mine."  It tells the stories of how children live throughout the world.  I'm hoping it will help my children realize how lucky they are, and maybe give some perspective onto the relative undesirability of unloading a dishwasher.  :-)

2.  We had scouts this afternoon and went on a tour of a local fire station.  These kinds of tours are always lots of fun, for kids and adults!  The child that was having some trouble with completing his chore this morning had lost the privilege of going.  But I let him make a deal with me, and I let him go in return for a solemn promise to do some additional things.  Was this a bad move?  Did it undermine my credibility in regards to consequences?  I don't know.  But this particular child is not hugely motivated by negative consequences.  It seemed to me that enabling him to have a happy, fun, positive experience connected with his promise to do certain things, might be more likely to elicit future compliance than just another punishment that makes things seem all the more unfair.  The lesson for me is to not be hasty in my pronouncement of consequences.  Anyway, here are some pictures from the fire station.

3.  We had a great rainstorm last night!  I love the sound of rain on the roof at night.  The rain persisted until this morning.  Have you ever wondered what squirrels or birds do in the rain?  Look what I saw on our back fence during the rainstorm!  Look at the cute little tail-umbrella!