TV

I think the thing that most bewilders me as a mom is how to stop the "Can I watch another show?" question. Benjamin loves watching tv shows. He even sees a commercial for a show and immediately thinks that he is in love with the new show and needs to watch it. I limit tv time. I have to or he is a kid that would watch it all day, everyday. Yet, in my efforts to limit, it ultimately makes me the bad guy when I say no that tv time is over because you have watched all of your shows for the day. I tried to drill it in over and over, 2 shows a day is the limit yet after the two were done there were many tearful complaints about how he needed just one more show. I was tired of the tantrums and even had some days with no tv at all because I always tell him that if he cries about tv then he is too little and can't watch it. I do plan other activities for him to do and yet the tv is such a draw. Finally, after yet another tantrum about the tv, a moment of mommy brilliance struck, and I devised a plan. A sticker chart, I thought. That just might work. It has worked, and it has worked wonders for two weeks now. Whenever he asks for another show, I tell him to go look at his chart. If there are already two stickers then it is done for the day. There still might be a pleading, but nothing in comparison to what we used to have. Yeah for sticker charts and mom not being the bad guy! I am already looking for other uses.