"I don’t want to give Joshua my quarters"

I’ve always liked to write and today, I came across something I wrote on March 15, 1998, thirteen years ago!  My boys were 3, 4 (Matthew was almost 5) and 13.  I thought I would share it.  “To make a long story short, I bought a book called “Reality Discipline” – it just sounded good.  Anyway, it turned out to be Bible-based and it has given me some really good practical ideas that have really worked!  It’s amazing actually.  For example, it said that if a child has a temper tantrum to pick him up, put him in a room (a private place) and tell him that when he is done he can join you again.  Well Andrew (3) wasn’t throwing a temper tantrum per say, but he was being very fussy at the table; he didn’t want anything and I was offering him different things and of course, he didn’t want any of it.  All of a sudden I picked him up and took him to the room and told him when he was happy he could come out.  He came out like 15 seconds later announcing he was happy now and he ate.  Another thing that worked was this:  I told Matthew to help Josh pick up the living room by picking up the toys.  He said very matter of factly, that he did not want to.  I said, “OK, Matthew, that’s OK, you just sit down right here while Josh picks up the living room and we’ll give Josh two of your quarters for having to do your job OK?”  His response was, “Oh no, mom, I will pick up the toys; thank you for telling me that…I don’t want to give Joshua my quarters.”  With Josh I’d set up the rule that I take 50 cents away for every chore he forgot.  Right now, it’s just brushing his teeth, practicing his flute, making his bed and leaving no clothes on the floor.  The first week he lost $2.00, but he hasn’t been docked for two weeks!  The hardest part is not reminding him to do something.  One time it was 8:30pm when he remembered he hadn’t practiced his flute.  Anyway, I’m really pleasantly surprised.”