pasta pot

My youngest has spent about 10 years (OK, feels like) testing the boundaries. He is so switched on, you just know - give in now and pay for it for the rest of your life - yet it can all be so incredibly exhausting. I use two survival tools: 1) blowing up a balloon with the entire family and 2) the pasta pot.

blowing up a balloon is for when i'm about to explode. i say to the kids 'let's pretend we're blowing up a balloon' and slowly we blow; our arms indicating how big this balloon is getting. very therapeutic :-)

the pasta pot is just the best. every time they do something that makes me proud of them, or that i think is worthy of praise, or basically anything nice & positive, they get given a piece of pasta to put in their pasta pot. sometimes 2, or 3 even, if what they did was really special. i don't use it as bribery - i can surprise them by saying - gosh, you brushed your teeth all on your own initiative - i'm going to give you a pasta for that! it just makes them glow and you can see how proud they are - just adorable. in contrast, if after 3 warnings they still don't do as I say.......... oh dear. a pasta is taken out of the pasta pot. uh-oh............! when the pasta pot is full, they are allowed to choose a really nice present. (and by now i'm actually intrigued to find out what it is they'll go for)

at present, it appears youngest has exited the 'boundary testing' phase. today he came home from school stating he had been 'lief' all day. this was followed by him running the bath himself, getting undressed, putting all his clothes in the laundry basket, washing himself, tooth brushing, tidying away all his toys, etc etc. tons of pasta! what a lovely feeling to have 'turned a corner' (and long may it last......... :-))