I think if my oldest son (here to fore known as OC) could look back on today from the eyes of anyone over the age of 16 that's what he would see, a day of nothing (luckily today was a learning holiday anyway). He is responsible for picking up toys before bed, not an unrealistic thing to expect of an 8 year old I'm told. Well, people should tell that to my son, not me. ;)
Here's what went down. He didn't get the toys picked up last night, so okay, the consequence for this is simply that the first thing he does in the morning is picking up those toys. So we got up this morning at 8am, come downstairs and I start in to work on my PC. The toddler (MC) was fairly needy due to a really late night last night so the TV went on to enable me to get my work done. Not ideal but it is what it is. I told OC to clean up. 9am rolls around, MC and I sit down to breakfast while the baby (YC) naps, for once not in my arms. I promptly sit in a puddle. It was OC's responsibility to check and clean the chairs the night before, apparently despite telling me it was done he hadn't done it. So ... I hate cold, and I hate wet I can't identify. So OC got chewed out royally, which woke Burnt Sienna (I'll call her BS, I like that, she may not, oh well). Not the way I'd want to wake up, wasn't the way she wanted to wake up. I ran around the house looking for clean underwear and pants (3 kids, working opposite shifts, folding and putting away clothes is NOT high on my priority list). Got that done and went to give BS a hug and a kiss to wake up to, more pleasant than the yelling at least.
Anyway, moving on. OC continued to not clean up, by 10am I told him he could eat since we needed to leave at 10:30ish for a therapy appointment. We maintain therapy for him because yes, our lifestyles are very alternative and we feel he needs that outside support and venting system. Anyway. He gets food, emptying the cereal box and throwing both box and empty bag separately on the floor (this is not noticed until later). He eats maybe 1/4 of his bowl of food and leaves it on the table to use the restroom. Time to go arrives. I pack up myself and YC because he is nursing and it's easiest to take him along with me rather than leaving him behind. We wait for OC to be done in the restroom, and I remind him to take care of his cereal and the milk. He gets ready and we leave.
Therapy goes well, we are given suggestions for helping to prompt him to use his words. We come home and are informed that the milk and cereal were still on the table and MC decided he was going to eat them. Luckily he didn't make a massive mess with this attempt. OC is informed that he must get back to picking up the toys that still are not done. At this point it is 30 minutes past noon and lunch is almost ready. When it is we all eat. Then OC is asked to continue with toys.
4 pm rolls around and Toys STILL are not picked up. We begin to inform him of the enormity of this issue, considering he has now wasted 90% of his day, he refuses to listen and is sent to the corner for 15 minutes (HIS consequence that HE chose to try for a week). He has a complete and total melt down, kicking and screaming and crying. He is asked to remain in his corner to keep everyone, including himself, safe during this situation. This cycle simply repeats itself for an hour and a half of fits and not listening. BS has to leave for work and OC is told to clean again. Dinner is done preparing. OC is told to either eat or clean, which results in another fit (seriously wow) corner again until he stops ... and we end up in a fit/discussion cycle for 30 minutes. Meanwhile I finish eating, MC finishes eating, and I manage half of the clean up post dinner.
It is now 6:30pm, OC has finally finished eating and is still working on LAST NIGHT'S toys. It is about time that they get packed up and taken away again. If there's too much to pick up, then there's too much available. Joy.
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