Just in case I have to put it in my mouth here sometime soon.
I'm just going to go ahead and speak too soon about a few things like I really know about them. Then in a little bit I might have to retract them and nibble on said toes. I've decided that I'm so excited about them that I'll just take the risk.
Firstly: "1-2-3, Magic" is like the UNICORNS AND LEPRECHAUNS of discipline rolled into one, packaged inside a rainbow and delivered to you by Santa Claus. (Normal speak: it really is farking magical.)
Let's discuss: Elliot and I have been having some rough times. He has been acting up daily to the point that I yell or use a tone with him that just doesn't sit well with me. I know why he is cranky, our lives are unpredictable and he never knows when he can expect to see his Dad, it's rough on a toddler who thrives on routine. I get it. But this schedule of ours means that I am single parenting it roughly all but 1 waking hour a day, which is also tough. It's been trying my patience, my energy, and ultimately was threatening to turn me into a crabby mom, which I really don't want to be. I needed a stinking system, folks.
Enter... "1-2-3 Magic." Several mom friends swear by it, and after reading it I realized I was using a version of it on my own already. However I needed some options, some variety, and some clear-cut consequences. I spent the last 2 weeks saying to my husband "I need a discipline PLAN for this kid!" The "time-out" spot wasn't consistent, the language I was using wasn't consistent, I'd let him get away with things because I was tired and that would wreck havoc on all the work we had done. It wasn't what I wanted in my house, and it was just getting worse by the day.
2 days in to this new system? BRILLIANT, I tell you. He is responding so well I haven't had to actually discipline him, no joke. I haven't gotten cranky with him once. I let him run free at the Aquarium today and he listened and responded like a champion. I will talk more about it in detail later, but had to get it out there in case one of you was struggling with discipline as well.
Granted, again, it's only 2 days in... but it's the best 2 days we have had in weeks so... I will talk about it before I should, hoping it helps someone else.
The other topic makes me even more nervous, as I am more likely to fall off the wagon here and feel crappy when I have to take it all back.
My sister mentioned a documentary to me that several other people had, and said that as a result she and her family have been vegan for almost a month. Whaaaat? I've toyed with vegetarianism off and on since my early teens, but vegan? No dairy? I cry inside to think of it. However when my sister mentioned the health benefits extolled by this documentary, I had to watch.
Enter: "Forks Over Knives." I stayed up until 12:30 AM to finish it. Now, there are a million opinions on everything, and scientific evidence is not without fault. Some "scientists" claim Global Warming is a lie. I personally thing that is insanely arrogant and intentionally misleading, btw, but I say this to acknowledge that even scientific evidence can be swayed to perpetuate an agenda. The evidence presented in this documentary could be of that variety, for sure. However, everything that was said in this documentary about the Western diet and how it has begun to destroy our health resonated with me.
As someone who has always been picky about the meat she eats, it seems easy for me to try to cut it out of my life. For someone whose Facebook "About Me" section has read "i love cheese" ever since the day she joined, I am really sad about giving up my beloved dairy products. I don't think we will end up vegan, or even strict vegetarians. I DO think that I am going to move us towards a way of life where meat and dairy are more special occasion foods than a part of our daily diet.
So far we have been trying to be veggie-conscious for 2 days. In those 2 days we have had lots of awesome meals, and only one of them has involved meat. My toddler has been happy with his food, and I thought he would be the hardest sell. So far, so good, But I recognize that there is a very real chance this won't work out for our family, it's a big change, especially for E. My husband volunteered a willingness to try it after hearing some of what I had learned, and he is the meat lover in the house. I'm
glad I didn't have to convince him to get on board. :)
My foot will remain clean and ready, incase I have to come back and put it directly into my mouth, but until then...
Have any of you seen "Forks Over Knives" ? Or do you use "1-2-3 Magic" in your house? How is it all going?
3 comments:
I think we NEED 123 Magic in our household! Lincoln sounds a lot like your sweet Elliot. They are strong-willed boys :)
I'm going to be "that person" for a second. I love that you have found something that works for you, and I think its great your family is trying the meat less thing. But I take offense that you say your "single parenting it" for all but one hour of the day. As a single parent myself, I think you need to realize what that comment means to those of us that really do that all the time. Single parenting isn't just about being alone with your kids, its so much more, and it make me want to weep that people dont understand that. Please be greatful for that one hour a day you dont have to "single parent it". I would give anything to have just one hour of not "single parenting it"
If you want I have some vegan cookbooks I can send you. I was vegan for about 3 years and then went vegetarian for another 2 years. The dairy is the hardest to live without for sure but after about a month your taste buds adjust to the "fake" cheeses. Let me know if you want those books. And I love that you are blogging again.
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