Kid Stuff
Family Behavior System
“SCHOOOOOOOOLS OUT…….. FOR…………… SUMMER!” Yes it is!
I kind of did a little freak out when Summer first started. Obviously, I love my little babies, but I’m not gonna lie! Towards the end of the school year, they all started to get these little attitudes where they just thought that they could say whatever they wanted, act however they wanted, and be as nasty to eachother as they wanted. It was starting to get really bad, so I did what any other mother would do…….. I turned to the BUS STOP!
You can find a lot of things out at the Bus Stop!
I had heard the word on the street was Behavior Coupons. Basically, the kids got rewarded for showing good behavior. That was alright, I thought. But I needed something a little more.
I had some pretty good ideas, but no real structure. If I went with the coupon idea, I would have to make them. That was fine! I would just go to the nearest craft store for my supplies, right? Well, let me tell you a little about my experience with craft stores. I love them! I really do! The only problem is I go in there and see all these different cool things, buy them, then end up spending $100, come home and have a huge haze over my eyes and try to remember what my original idea was for going to the store in the first place. I look around at what I bought and have a million different things that have nothing to do with eachother. Needless to say, it all ends up in a closet somewhere, never to be heard from again. That reminds me, I need to clean my closets out……
Anyhoo!
Well, NOT THIS TIME Y’ALL!!!!
I found it!
The HOLY GRAIL of Behavior Systems!
It’s called Family Do Dots!
It’s so great! It incorporates Behavior, Responsibilities, Rewards….. The best thing is, you can tailor it to your family’s specific situation. I think this is so important because no two families are alike.
Another thing that is great, is that they include the Whole Family ! Of course, you don’t have to do this, but we thought it was important so that we weren’t singling out just the kids. They make a point to also take things that the children need improvement on, like not hitting or not talking back, and they turn it into a positive thing. They say things like “Nice Hands” or “Nice Words” instead. I LOVE THAT!
It all originated when a sweet couple in Utah, decided to make their own system for their family. After a while, their friends and family were asking them to make them. They started to think that maybe they had something special and before they knew it, Family Do Dots was a business! I am so happy they decided to make them because it has been night and day for my family!
The kids start out on what they call Level One, every morning. They have certain things they have to complete before they can get on Level Two, which is where they have their privileges. These can be things like watching TV or playing with their electronic devices or anything they really like to do. *Sidebar: I have been a little lenient with this since it is Summer. I let them watch a little TV first thing in the morning, but then make them do their Responsibilities on Level One. Once the kids have completed these things, they can “flip their magnet”. This is so much fun for them, because it gives them a sense of accomplishment! I just love it!
Basically, once the kids get on Level Two, they can get Rewards. These come in the form of Tickets, which the company provides for you. They provide everything you need! At the end of every week, we open our “Family Store”, which has all kinds of goodies, toys (etc.). FYI: These do not have to be expensive. You can go to the dollar store if you want.
The kids take the tickets that they have earned over the course of the week and one by one, go to the Family Store and purchase things with their tickets that they have earned all by themselves just for doing what is expected of them and being good.
I could go on and on about all the great things with this system, but I’m even starting to bore myself here. LOL! Please go to their site and check them out! For less than the price of what I would have spent on my “Craft Store Idea”, I had a full system with access to continued online support and ideas for my family.
Here is another look at the the whole board.
*Keep in mind that this is only what it looks like first thing in the morning. It becomes very colorful once the kids start flipping their magnets…… and Mom and Dad’s too! 😉
DISCLAIMER: I am not working with Family Do Dots. I bought my system just like everyone else. I just feel so strongly about this system because it has really helped my family. 🙂
The Great Smokey Mountains ( Part 2 )
The second day of our trip was to be Grandfather Mountain and Linville Canverns.
Let me just give you my backstory on Grandfather Mountain.
The first time I ever went, was when I was a little girl. We had this BIG Ford Sherrod Conversion Van. The ones that are so big, they have a built in seat in the back that has a fold down sleeping bed and bulky built in floor tv.
We are talking a BIG VAN here PEOPLE! A BUS!
So, you could imagine my horror when I realized that we would be going up “hairpin” curves with no guardrails on any sides, allowing you to drop of the edge of the earth if you make a mistake. Did I mention there was a thick fog that accompanied our trip up the mountain?
Fastforward ten years………..
MORE FOG! Now my new husband and I decided to take a trip to the mountains and visit Grandfather Mountain again. I figured, “Heck! I was a kid before! Things always seem like a bigger deal when you are a kid!”
NOPE!
This time was worse. I had this old Honda Prelude that took very wide turns and to beat all was A STICK SHIFT! Ahhhhhhhh!
We literally had to do three point turns going up and down this thing. My new husband and I almost got a divorce right there on that mountain when he found it hysterical to scare me on the way down.
You can probably imagine my apprehensive state when he informed me that he wanted to go up again this time on our trip and take our kids. I kept trying to suggest other things that might be better to do instead. BUT, when he informed me that he would be going up that STINKIN Mountain with or without me, I caved. I decided that big ole thing wasn’t going to lick me!
I just figured I would grit my teeth and somehow get through it.
It really is a beautiful sight. This time, it turns out, wasn’t nearly as bad.
When you enter the gate, they give you (with your admission price) a cd that will narrarate the entire journey up the mountain and give you historical facts about it as well. We decided that we would stop along the way and get out at the pull over areas and walk around a bit.
This really helped me!
The views through the trees are nothing short of amazing.
Look how small the kids look against this huge rock! I couldn’t even get the whole thing in the picture.
Needless to say . . . . . . . . .
This shot was taken at the top of the mountain.
Here is a shot of the “hairpin curves” at the top. They are only at the top. Again, it wasn’t nearly as bad for me this time as it was in the past. However, the hill is so steep that they tell you to gear down on your way down the mountain.
It was 38 degrees at the top. They have a bridge at the top that they call The Mile High Swinging Bridge. The reason you might ask? Yes, it swings. It does this to account for the wind. I’m not talking as much as a playground, but it definitely moves while you are there. Sometimes, it can even sound like a harmonica playing. Thank goodness the wind wasn’t blowing enough that day to let us hear any music!
YUP! That is how high we were when we were standing on the bridge. Forgot to mention that the name of the bridge is also because it is a mile long drop to the ground beneath you.
Across the other side were rocky cliffs you could walk across. I stayed my toosh right there on the landing. My husband, however, lost his mind momentarily and decided to carry each one of our children across. I managed to get a snap shot of him holding Em. For the others, I could hardly breathe, from fright hoping neither of them slipped.
Our next stop was Linville Canverns, which was only a few more minutes down the road. You can go inside the mountain and see what it looks like.
This was really cool. I did this as well when I was a kid, but I could only remember a little.
They even have trout that swim into the caves.
It definitely is not for someone who has the least bit of a problem with claustrophobia.
These were some of the other lovely occupants in the caverns.
It truely was magnificant!
One thing I noticed . . . . . even dried up corn stalks look better with a mountain for a backdrop.
Our trip to the Mountains, regardless of my fear of the heights thing, was really GREAT! It was just like I had imagined it would be.
The best part was being able to look at my kids and see the same excitement in their eyes that I had when I was their age. It kind of made me feel like a kid again being able to experience it all over again with them.
If you can do it, go to the mountains. It will be a wonderful experience for you and the whole family!
HAPPY FALL!!!
– Esther
Christmas in July!
It has been hot here as of lately. I mean really HOT! However, I realize I am not telling you anything new that you haven’t discovered yourself.
If you live pretty much anywhere in the United States, it is probably unbearably hot right now.
SO!
I thought to myself…… “How can I make these Crazy Hot Dog Days of Summer Better?”
Then all of a sudden I heard a voice….. (*don’t worry, I’m not crazy)
However,
The voice said, “Then he puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then the grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!”
WAIT! THAT’S IT!
CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS IN JULY!
Then I heard Jingle Bells and White Christmas and Rockin Around the Christmas tree! (Ok, so maybe I’m a little Crazy.)
REGARDLESS! It was going to be Christmas at the Zimmerman’s that night!
First, we had to make cookies. › Continue reading
“Brave”n it Pizza style!
The girls and I went and saw the new Pixar movie “Brave” the other day. I’m not sure who was more excited about seeing it? Them or myself? I have to say, it did not disappoint at all. It was worth every cent!
After we got home, we were feeling very inspired. Since we had planned on making pizza anyway, we decided to make our very own “Merida” creations.
Here is what we did:
I gave the kids their own mini pizzas with mozzarella and mini pepperonis. › Continue reading
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