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!