They need to self entertain. We toss them in the back yard or, if they've lost screens but I need background noise then I put on Planet Earth or something. Also, get some good noise-canceling headphones.

Anonymous wrote:Why do you need to punish? Seriously? What are your kids doing that you want to PUNISH them?

Np
Mainly fighting with siblings

My three are six and under. I’m in Def Com mode and I will do anything to survive. The 4 and 2 year old know every song from Frozen 2 and the 6 year old wants to take my head off with a light saber. They are sound asleep right now and I hope they wake up in June. And I wake up in July to give me time to recover.

Anonymous wrote:Why do you need to punish? Seriously? What are your kids doing that you want to PUNISH them?

What, you want the whole list?

I have teens and tweens. It will be several chapters long.

Anonymous wrote:Why do you need to punish? Seriously? What are your kids doing that you want to PUNISH them?

Oh, no, I never punish. I just """give consequences."""

We stick to it. Not a big deal.. for us.

Why do you need to punish? Seriously? What are your kids doing that you want to PUNISH them?

I'm trying to be more patient and lenient. These changes are huge for the kids, and some of the tantrums I see are a part of that. I find that just letting things go often results in a quicker resolution than doling out punishments.

Anonymous wrote:The point is no screens FOR FUN. So that rule still stands.

No kidding? Even still.

This is usually us, because for some reason DS responds better to us taking something away rather than using as an incentive. However, at this point taking away screen time just punishes us, so I created a checklist of things he has to do before he can play video games/watch TV etc. If he gets it done quickly, he can have more screen time and if he stalls and dawdles he gets less by default.

Anonymous wrote:I think the question is pretty straightforward. Just wondering if anyone can and will be holding to that.

Read the kazdin method—but a short synopsis is positive reinforcement works better for sustained behavior change.

So basically, use screen time as a reward not a punishment.

I hide in my room and the kids run feral.

Sure. Yesterday my teen son had a full-blown tantrum. Very rare for him. Consequence is no electronics for fun for at least a few days, while he calms down and understands that we still expect considerate behavior at home during the social distancing period.

The point is no screens FOR FUN. So that rule still stands.

I think the question is pretty straightforward. Just wondering if anyone can and will be holding to that.