SarahLizzie
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2012
- Messages
- 72
Between my boyfriend and myself there are 6 children. He has a 7 year old girl, 6 year old boy, and twin 3 year old boys from a previous marriage. Then I have a 5 year daughter from a past relationship, and we have a 20 month old daughter together. For the most part his children that we do not have 7 days a week, rather we have every other week, are WILD! My girls are angels compared to them, but my daughters, yes even the 20 month old, know and understand that when I say no, I mean no. His children have a problem with the word no, and always give him a rough time.
Sometimes I step in to try to assist with the madness of our household, and my method typically works. I can be rather strict, there are certain rules that just do not get violated in my house. Some of these rules are: no violence of any kind, ask an adult to move the baby gate when needing to use the bathroom (it blocks off steps and is not sturdy enough for the kids to climb over to get to the bathroom), and my screaming in the apartment (I live above a small business). Well these three rules are nearly impossible for his children to obey, so I take things away and use time out. If the bad behavior is at bed time, then the bed time movie or TV gets shut off and lights out is earlier than normal. If you hit, bite, punch, shove, act to anyone, you go stand in the corner for 3 minutes; the catch there is any movement from the corner, or looking out of the corner makes the clock start over at the beginning. My boyfriend is not nearly as strict with his enforcement of the rules, which allows the children to walk all over him.
Seeing how wild and chaotic the house can become at times, we tend to split the discipline now. The more we apply different techniques the more well behaved the children become. Though it is a slow process, it is still a process that is working! We have a great deal to fight against since they do not have the same sets of rules in both households.
Sometimes I step in to try to assist with the madness of our household, and my method typically works. I can be rather strict, there are certain rules that just do not get violated in my house. Some of these rules are: no violence of any kind, ask an adult to move the baby gate when needing to use the bathroom (it blocks off steps and is not sturdy enough for the kids to climb over to get to the bathroom), and my screaming in the apartment (I live above a small business). Well these three rules are nearly impossible for his children to obey, so I take things away and use time out. If the bad behavior is at bed time, then the bed time movie or TV gets shut off and lights out is earlier than normal. If you hit, bite, punch, shove, act to anyone, you go stand in the corner for 3 minutes; the catch there is any movement from the corner, or looking out of the corner makes the clock start over at the beginning. My boyfriend is not nearly as strict with his enforcement of the rules, which allows the children to walk all over him.
Seeing how wild and chaotic the house can become at times, we tend to split the discipline now. The more we apply different techniques the more well behaved the children become. Though it is a slow process, it is still a process that is working! We have a great deal to fight against since they do not have the same sets of rules in both households.