5/8/12 Terrific Tuesday

Terrific Tuesday-raising children calls for creativity an determination, it is not a game for the weak. I have four children: a 16 year old daughter, a 9 year old son, and 4 year old twin girls. It used to be that the arguing and drama were just too much. The things that children can pick to fight about boggles the mind. Here a a few of the choice lines I was forced to mediate, "Mom, she breathed on purpose." "Mommy, she said my stuffed animal was fake." "Why does he have to live here?" Oh, some of these may sound cute reading them on this page, I admit. However, no argument by four children is cute after you have heard six hours of it and now at bed time it is being shouted over two floors. So, about a week ago, I started "Kiss Up Day." We started with the teenie bopper. Everyone in the family had to kiss up to her all day. All day she was treated nicely. It was extra special treatment, like on your birthday or mother's day. So all day her siblings were nice to her. Her brother offered to do her chores. The twins gave her the prettiest plate and silverware at dinner. It was wonderful, instead of fighting, the children tried to out do each other in being nice. At the end of the day, the teenie bopper picked the winner. The person who kissed up the best, the most to her liking all day won, and got the kiss up treatment the next day. There have been some minor adjustments to the plan, but it is in place and we plan to continue it indefinitely. My husband explained to the children. That it was a wonderful thing that at least one day per week each person in the family would have everyone be kind to them. It is a great thing that you can guarantee at least one day per week you will be shown love, compassion and treated as if you were special. Some people only get special treatment one day per year when it's their birthday. Some people do not get treated nicely even that often. So for my family everyday is be nice to someone day and everyone gets treated special at least one day per week and I am hoping the nice treatment rubs off and in some way makes life for my children better. Terrific Tuesday-parenting, it is a job for the strong, so do some push ups, mental and physical and get moving!