Scare Tactic

Lincoln is a biter. He only bites Bentley. It is usually when they are fighting and Lincoln gets super upset/frustrated. It is a problem that we don't know how to stop.

The last time he bit his brother I threatened that the next time I was taking him to the dentist and having all of his teeth pulled.

Chod mentioned something about threats I could actually follow through with...

So this afternoon, when Bentley came bawling (there's a very specific cry he has when he's been bit--so I know what happened even though you can't understand a thing he says through his sobs) saying Lincoln had bit him, I knew what had to be done.

Chod and I were working in the garage so I told him I was taking Lincoln to have Dr. Doug pull his teeth. I think the drive to Logan should be traumatic enough to possibly solve the problem.

I opened the door and told Lincoln to get his shoes on cause we were heading to Dr. Doug. Immediately he started screaming. I tried to get him out the door, but had to have Chod help. Lincoln was hysterical (kind of like Bentley when he gets bit) as we backed out the driveway. He continued crying and kept reminding me that he had told Bentley he was sorry (he gives out sorry's freely, but doesn't mean it) and that he didn't want his teeth pulled. But before we had even reached the highway he had calmed down a lot. We talked about what he could do instead of biting, and why he bites. (He says it's cause he is hungry. If this is true we have way bigger problem at hand.)

By the time we had reached Logan he was pretty confident he was going to get to keep his teeth, so just so he didn't think I was a pushover we drove to Dr. Doug's only to find they were closed on Saturdays.

I'm not really sure it's going to solve the biting problem, but I'm pretty confident I've successfully ruined all future visits to the dentist for him.

Its all about the follow through

Last week I watched a two of my friends kids for a couple hours. Bentley was supposed to be taking a nap, but Nate thought it was fun to open his door and talk with him.

I told the visiting children that the next person to wake Bentley up would get a spanking. About, oh 2 minutes later, Nate comes and tells me that he had opened Bentley's door with a look on his face that said, You said you would spank, but I am pretty sure you won't, so now what are you going to do?

I thought "Shoot. He is testing me. What do I do now? I can't actually spank him, but I don't want to be giving out empty threats..."

So I picked him up and sat him on the couch and told him to stay there.

Apparently that was enough to get my point across, cause he started crying....

Fast forward to today. All three kids and the mom were at my house and the kids were doing something (I can't remember what) and I said "Oh you better quit that or you will be scrubbing my toilet." Nate immediately stopped and sat there. The older brother said, "You wouldn't really make us." And Nate said "Oh yes she will!"

Good thing I followed through last week, or else they both would think they can walk all over me.

Little Boy, Big Attitude

Bentley loves my singing, well at least he used to. Yesterday I was singing as we were driving and apparently he had had enough of it.

So he brought both hands up to his ears and covered them. He kept his ears covered until I had finished singing.

What happened to my sweet little happy boy? He has turned into a teenager on me.