I found out today through some probing questions that the kid I sit for watches about an hour of tv each night. Let me get this straight. I can't play wii with him and work on game play social rules after he earns the privilege to do so but you plop him down in front of the TV to keep him busy every night?
GAH!!!!
Either way, we have a new system. We have a good job jar that he works on earning stones and pebbles and such to fill. When it's full (i estimate about once a week), he gets a larger reward from his parents. It gets filled while I'm there and while I'm gone. Since there's something to make their lives easier at home, his mom is for it. Figures.
Wedding planning quote of the day: The Conscious Bride "Everyone says 'it takes a year to plan a wedding' and now I know why. It takes a year for the emotions to move through you."
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Parents are NUTS.
Seriously. Some parents are total psychos. Ask any teacher.
The kid I sit for requires a lot of structure to hold himself together and he does not handle transitions or unexpected occurrences very well (especially ones he deems undesirable). We've been using a positive behavior support system to reward things he does well or times he is especially nice, polite, shares well, etc. It's worked wonders. He earns two minutes of screen time (tv, phone games, tablet games, wii, etc) at a time to cash in at the end of the day to equal up to 20 minutes. Well, he's not allowed screen time anymore. AT ALL. He's also not really allowed to have junk foods and I don't really condone the use of edible rewards. So now he's not working toward anything and he's a nightmare. He's 5. He's incapable of being good for the sake of being good. Developmentally, he's not there yet. And he darn well shouldn't be.
He has, however, learned to wipe his own butt, use manners consistently without being prompted, clear his plate without being asked to, get out lunch materials independently, pick up his toys without a fuss and he reads me a book every day, even if he doesn't feel like reading. All in the 2 1/2 weeks I've been there.
I'm not going to argue with him all day to get him to do the things he has to do with no purpose. I've had job offers elsewhere that I'm more than happy to take. I'm a degree holding educator who's working as a nanny for pete's sake. I'm a hot commodity! I admit that I do value myself more than I probably should, but come on. I won't sit back and fight with a kid when I've got research and training that tells me to do otherwise.
Soooo tomorrow I'm going to present the parents with my research documents and ask for acceptable, motivating rewards. If that doesn't work out, they're on their own. SHEESH!
And my wedding planning quote of the day goes to: A Practical Wedding "F*** em if they don't like the chairs"
The kid I sit for requires a lot of structure to hold himself together and he does not handle transitions or unexpected occurrences very well (especially ones he deems undesirable). We've been using a positive behavior support system to reward things he does well or times he is especially nice, polite, shares well, etc. It's worked wonders. He earns two minutes of screen time (tv, phone games, tablet games, wii, etc) at a time to cash in at the end of the day to equal up to 20 minutes. Well, he's not allowed screen time anymore. AT ALL. He's also not really allowed to have junk foods and I don't really condone the use of edible rewards. So now he's not working toward anything and he's a nightmare. He's 5. He's incapable of being good for the sake of being good. Developmentally, he's not there yet. And he darn well shouldn't be.
He has, however, learned to wipe his own butt, use manners consistently without being prompted, clear his plate without being asked to, get out lunch materials independently, pick up his toys without a fuss and he reads me a book every day, even if he doesn't feel like reading. All in the 2 1/2 weeks I've been there.
I'm not going to argue with him all day to get him to do the things he has to do with no purpose. I've had job offers elsewhere that I'm more than happy to take. I'm a degree holding educator who's working as a nanny for pete's sake. I'm a hot commodity! I admit that I do value myself more than I probably should, but come on. I won't sit back and fight with a kid when I've got research and training that tells me to do otherwise.
Soooo tomorrow I'm going to present the parents with my research documents and ask for acceptable, motivating rewards. If that doesn't work out, they're on their own. SHEESH!
And my wedding planning quote of the day goes to: A Practical Wedding "F*** em if they don't like the chairs"
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
New year: new posts
I forgot I had a blog. College will do that to you. Now that I've graduated, I'm going to start dedicating some time to posting more often.
Some things about me and my life right now:
I'm newly engaged, moved in with my fiance, and am frantically planning my wedding. Not that I'm doing it shotgun style, or anything. In fact, it's a fairly long engagement. I just do everything frantically.
I'm not teaching right now and it kills me. I'm actually a nanny, now that I've graduated. Most boring job I've ever had. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THAT CHILD. He's 5 and incredible. With a bit of structure, he's the most behaved kid ever. However, he has no special needs and is actually REALLY smart for his age. It's not exactly a challenge.
I've decided to volunteer as an adult literacy tutor. My brain is far too bored to keep going on this way. I'm very excited to start this endeavor and am sure it will lead to many posts.
I'm also absolutely, positively, addicted to pinterest. It's ridiculous. It's done interesting things for my sleep and anxiety levels. Oddly enough, when I'm on pinterest, I have NO wedding anxiety. It's when I get off that I have anxiety. I think that's actually a legitimate addiction.
Needless to say, the reaction my sleep is having is not favorable. Added anxiety+a fun alternative to sleep=lauren on pinterest for hours while her fiance whines about her incessant clicking.
He'll survive. I might not, but I'll enjoy being brought down by the internet!
I'll leave you with my new mantra (which is the cover of my planning binder).
A wedding is a celebration, not a performance. If, at the end of the day, you are married to the one you love, everything went perfectly.
Some things about me and my life right now:
I'm newly engaged, moved in with my fiance, and am frantically planning my wedding. Not that I'm doing it shotgun style, or anything. In fact, it's a fairly long engagement. I just do everything frantically.
I'm not teaching right now and it kills me. I'm actually a nanny, now that I've graduated. Most boring job I've ever had. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THAT CHILD. He's 5 and incredible. With a bit of structure, he's the most behaved kid ever. However, he has no special needs and is actually REALLY smart for his age. It's not exactly a challenge.
I've decided to volunteer as an adult literacy tutor. My brain is far too bored to keep going on this way. I'm very excited to start this endeavor and am sure it will lead to many posts.
I'm also absolutely, positively, addicted to pinterest. It's ridiculous. It's done interesting things for my sleep and anxiety levels. Oddly enough, when I'm on pinterest, I have NO wedding anxiety. It's when I get off that I have anxiety. I think that's actually a legitimate addiction.
Needless to say, the reaction my sleep is having is not favorable. Added anxiety+a fun alternative to sleep=lauren on pinterest for hours while her fiance whines about her incessant clicking.
He'll survive. I might not, but I'll enjoy being brought down by the internet!
I'll leave you with my new mantra (which is the cover of my planning binder).
A wedding is a celebration, not a performance. If, at the end of the day, you are married to the one you love, everything went perfectly.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Talk about anxiety: plan a wedding!
The dress is bought. I'd post it, but I don't want my FH to see it. It desperately needs a sash. Since I found this giveaway, I've been having trouble sleeping just thinking about winning it. A teacher salary does not make for an extravagant wedding, so my once-wed dress and a free sash would make me look as fortunate as I feel. I can't wait for the giveaway to end so that I can know if I won it or not! Otherwise, it's off the the change jar to start saving pennies that aren't budgeted to buy this sash!!
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