Saturday, June 27, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
Further work completed
Colours of the land
Breaking the ground on the house site
The trench that Tareka and Poppa dug
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Beach walks
We made a startling yet obvious discovery recently: TV is bad for Mapera and going out and doing stuff is good for her.
We had been allowing her to watch up to 1 hour of kids TV every other day or so as a treat, and I was finding she was getting more
difficult in the afternoons and evenings and getting worse as the weeks went by. She was also starting to refuse to do her jobs, and
no amount of threats to remove stories, CDs, TV etc seemed to help.
So, we have a new system: the sticker chart for every day jobs - making her bed, helping to feed the cats,tidying her toys and helping with dishes -
if she does all these things she gets a trip out the next day (playground, park, beach or pool). She also gets bonus points for using her nice voice
all day, listening properly and sitting properly at the table. I also dole out bonus points for other stuff as they come up. The bonus points are added
up at the end of the week, and if she gets 10 or more she gets 1/2 hr TV, 20 or more get an hour.
She is also allowed to watch a kids TV DVD if she stays in her bed all night (except for loo visits), and those don't seem to have such a negative effect.
I think it's cos they are definite, individual episodes with an obvious start and finish, unlike the Disney Channel which seems to be a constant streat of stuff.
Her favourite at the moment is Ivor the Engine :)
We've noticed an improvement in her behaviour already, and we've got out a lot more as a family as a result.
We had been allowing her to watch up to 1 hour of kids TV every other day or so as a treat, and I was finding she was getting more
difficult in the afternoons and evenings and getting worse as the weeks went by. She was also starting to refuse to do her jobs, and
no amount of threats to remove stories, CDs, TV etc seemed to help.
So, we have a new system: the sticker chart for every day jobs - making her bed, helping to feed the cats,tidying her toys and helping with dishes -
if she does all these things she gets a trip out the next day (playground, park, beach or pool). She also gets bonus points for using her nice voice
all day, listening properly and sitting properly at the table. I also dole out bonus points for other stuff as they come up. The bonus points are added
up at the end of the week, and if she gets 10 or more she gets 1/2 hr TV, 20 or more get an hour.
She is also allowed to watch a kids TV DVD if she stays in her bed all night (except for loo visits), and those don't seem to have such a negative effect.
I think it's cos they are definite, individual episodes with an obvious start and finish, unlike the Disney Channel which seems to be a constant streat of stuff.
Her favourite at the moment is Ivor the Engine :)
We've noticed an improvement in her behaviour already, and we've got out a lot more as a family as a result.
Quick flashback
I didn't see these pics cos they were in a different folder, here's our entrance going in!!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Tired children and completed fences
The terrible twos are a fallacy, we have had more screaming tantrums from Mapera during her third year than ever before, and they get louder, longer and nastier as she gets older.
We have various strategies for dealing with her - calmly asking her to talk in her nice voice, threatening to remove privileges, the dreaded naughty corner - and they each work depending on the situation. However the one time we can't seem to get over is the pre-bed screaming match.
We have the normal bedtime routine:
Bath, pyjamas, drink, brush teeth, points and stickers, story, light on for 20 minutes then lights out and lullabyes.
Mapera knows (and is constantly reminded) that if the light is on she stays in her room (except for loo visits), and when the light goes out she stays in her BED (again, except for the loo), but she is constantly coming out of her room with various excuses, all of which we ignore and tell her to go to bed. Then begins the screaming and shouting.
After both of us threatening removal of various privileges, she usually ends up in bed with no lullaby at lights out and no DVD allowed the next day, she invariably falls asleep before the light goes off after that.
I'd like bedtimes to be a calm and peaceful end to the day, is that too much to ask?
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In other news, Tareka and his Dad have completed the fencing around our new entrance!
We've also chosen the colours for the roof, joinery and interior walls; along with the kitchen cabinets and bench top. We're just waiting for the council to give us the all clear and the builders are ready to start!
We have various strategies for dealing with her - calmly asking her to talk in her nice voice, threatening to remove privileges, the dreaded naughty corner - and they each work depending on the situation. However the one time we can't seem to get over is the pre-bed screaming match.
We have the normal bedtime routine:
Bath, pyjamas, drink, brush teeth, points and stickers, story, light on for 20 minutes then lights out and lullabyes.
Mapera knows (and is constantly reminded) that if the light is on she stays in her room (except for loo visits), and when the light goes out she stays in her BED (again, except for the loo), but she is constantly coming out of her room with various excuses, all of which we ignore and tell her to go to bed. Then begins the screaming and shouting.
After both of us threatening removal of various privileges, she usually ends up in bed with no lullaby at lights out and no DVD allowed the next day, she invariably falls asleep before the light goes off after that.
I'd like bedtimes to be a calm and peaceful end to the day, is that too much to ask?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In other news, Tareka and his Dad have completed the fencing around our new entrance!
We've also chosen the colours for the roof, joinery and interior walls; along with the kitchen cabinets and bench top. We're just waiting for the council to give us the all clear and the builders are ready to start!
Friday, May 1, 2009
WE HAVE LIFT OFF!!
My wonderful husband took photos of the new entrance being put in at our new property, even though I have the digital camera. Our contractor Paul Steiner has done a great job at a great price, so we are officially underway!
We also have a name for our property, handed down from Tareka's Grandparents' house. Their house in Healds Green was called it, and the name came with them to New Zealand, and when we bought our slice of heaven, my lovely father-in-law asked his Mother if we could have the name. So when she passed away recently, we were given the name.
I present to you, "Top of the Meadow"
We also have a name for our property, handed down from Tareka's Grandparents' house. Their house in Healds Green was called it, and the name came with them to New Zealand, and when we bought our slice of heaven, my lovely father-in-law asked his Mother if we could have the name. So when she passed away recently, we were given the name.
I present to you, "Top of the Meadow"
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