Turning the calendar to August today meant it was also time to start breaking and changing some habits that Kacy has ingrained in his daily life. We started with two biggies today:
1. No more iPad at your fingertips.
2. Food and drink can be enjoyed only while seated in the kitchen.
Allowing Kacy to use his iPad for entertainment purposes is something he enjoys more than anything! He has his favorite shows, movies, and music at his fingertips and it's extremely portable so it goes with him everywhere- all around the house, in the car, into gyms, into restaurants - everywhere. He is amazing at navigating it, too, and it's fun to watch him be good at something. I knew I should be setting some boundaries with it early this spring as it became the first thing he wanted in the morning and it was pried out of his fingertips before bed. But the luxury of it was hard to give up, and the happiness it brought him made it even more difficult. However, anticipating being home with him this fall and attempting potty training, I am thinking it is the perfect motivation for him, so I need to start teaching him the idea of the iPad being a reward for certain behavior. Also, the educational possibilities with the iPad are endless, and I need to make sure we are using it more for that purpose and less for watching Lightening McQueen's life changing experiences in Radiator Springs.
As for the to-go-cups Kacy has been enjoying for 9 years, it is time to change that habit before my carpet needs replacing due to the stench of sour milk and sticky orange juice stains! Handing Kacy a cup of chocolate milk and watching him walk out of the room to enjoy it while playing with this toys has gifted me an extra half hour here and there to get other things done- like laundry, dinner, make a phone call, etc. However, it has also resulted in sticky everything as the cups we are using with him don't seem to be 100% spill-proof, and he has only a vague concept of setting a cup in an upright position. Yesterday, I had a head ache so I laid down for a bit and admittedly, fell asleep for an hour. When I awoke- my bathroom was a swamp of chocolate milk with floating Cheez-Its. Yes-- Kacy had helped himself to his cup from the fridge and a box from the pantry and I spent the next half hour cleaning up a cheezy, milky mess in the bathroom. Thank goodness he didn't create this mess in the living room! No one else is allowed to take food or drinks out of the kitchen (for the most part) so now, it is time for the rule to apply to him as well.
So how did we do on Day 1? Pretty good! He took me to the fridge, grunted, and pointed to the iPad that was sitting on top roughly 2,568 times. I took him to a chair at the kitchen island roughly 472 times in attempt to get him to drink and eat something. He has eaten and he has drank- but not very much! Most of my attempts were met with a shake of his head while turning on his heel and walking out of the room. He's also sneakier than I had given him credit for.... Today, the phone rang and it was Brett checking in from basketball camp. While listening to him explain something about his guide hand making the difference between whether he's shooting or throwing the ball at the hoop when he drives to the basket (huh?)... Kacy opened the fridge, got out his cup of juice, and quietly left the kitchen to drink it in the comfort of his bedroom. *sigh I wasn't expecting sneaky in addition to stubborn! This may be more difficult than I had expected. I'll keep you posted!
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