Let the Punishment Fit the Crime

I can't wait until he can reach the sink and do dishes, too!

Robbie reaching for a few crackers while he works

I love my mom. We talk all the time. The most common topic of discussion recently, it seems, is dicipline. We'll be on the phone and she will hear Robbie throw some kind of a tantrum, and I start to laugh (mind you, this isn't all the time, but kids sometimes are just hilarious--even when throwing tantrums!). Well, that always starts a little lecture about how I must dare to discipline so that my kids turn out as well as hers! :) Her hot topic right now is letting the punishment fit the crime (this actually stems from my sister-in-law, Sarah). Well, I've been trying it lately, and though it is often more frustrating for me, it is more beneficial for Robbie and me in the long run. Here is an example. The other day Robbie was eating crackers. He thought it would be really cool if he could stuff them through a pipe and eat them on the other end. Well, they didn't quite fit, so he mashed the crackers into pieces, shoving them through the pipe and then dumping them all over the floor. Way fun (except Mommy didn't like it)!!! Well, instead of spanking him or something, he had to clean up the room and vacuum the crackers up. As for my laughing, though, I'm still going to have to work on that. A vacuum is heavy for a little guy, so after a minute of vacumming, Robbie realized that it was faster to just eat the crackers of the ground.