Saturday, March 3, 2007


O.K. So this is my first Smart Habit Saturday. Head on over to Lara's site at The Lazy Organizer to find out more, but basically it's just like it sounds. Every Saturday (or so), I will pick a new habit and then blog about my progress.
This week, I will spend 15 minutes a day of uninterrupted, no TV, joyful time with each of my kids. So that's 15 minutes alone with Jake, and 15 minutes alone with Emma. The time with Emma might be a little harder because, well, Jake is always there. And he doesn't like to play by himself at all. He's very social. But I'll give it a whirl.
Dave and I were talking last night about why Jacob does the things he does and why he is so aggressive and can be quite disagreeable. And we think it all comes down to attention. And I am sad to admit that it hit me last night that I don't pay too much attention to Jake. I am always with him, but I am usually focused on other things (cleaning, laundry, Emma, etc.) and when I do pay attention to him, it's to point out flaws and punish him for them. And then I read Lara's post today and she includes the quote "We cannot teach principles that we do not know and that we do not live. Who we are and what is in our heart are discerned by children more quickly than we think." How can I teach Jake to hold his temper and to look for the good things if I don't do it myself?
I had started to read a book a while back called Parenting the Strong-Willed Child, and this habit comes directly from the book. I started to put it into practice but as soon as I saw improvement in Jake, I stopped. And he has regressed, so it's time I start being more proactive instead of reactive. Hopefully we'll get along a little better! Wish me luck!

3 reviews:

Lara said...

It's so easy to get caught up with daily chores and make the kids feel like they are in the way. I know I do it all the time!

I love my habit of playing games individually with the kids. It is such a small effort to make but we all enjoy it and I feel like a much better Mom.

I'm so happy that you have joined us for SHS! It really inspires me to hear of everyone else's progress. Have a great week!

An Ordinary Mom said...

I am happy that you decided to join the Smart Habit fun! You will find that it is awesome.

Good luck with spending time with each of your kids. I am working on this as well. It can be so hard, but it will be so worth it. Hang in there!

Christine said...

Great point Thea! I, too, find myself spending lots of time with the kids but not necessarily intentional time. I'll be looking forward to hearing about your progress this week!