Week two of “Loving DJ on Purpose” has come and gone with it’s own set of challenges!  We’re currently experiencing a “nap strike” (hopefully temporary) which is adding the “tired cranky toddler” factor into this whole experience.  Fortunately bedtime has gotten easier and we’re all sleeping through the night still.  I apologize for not updating more, but it’s just been too much to think about lately!

I thought I’d focus this post on the “Fun or Other Room?” part of our new parenting routine.  I’ve been fairly hesitant about whether I’d see any success with this, especially considering DJ is now only 18months old!  In the past two weeks I’ve used it several times, with the kitchen cabinets (the “child proof locks” are no match for him), “rearranging” the DVD rack, pulling the heating vent out of the living room floor (never knew this was possible!), being gentle with Mommy & “BeBe”, etc.

Tonight we had an interesting interaction in the living room where he was trying to grab my cell phone away from me and yelling.  It went something like this:

DJ: AYAYAYYyYyAYA!
Me: Hey!  No Fun!  Fun or Other Room? (other room being the dining room)
DJ: YYAYBYyByASYFy! (Keeps yelling and getting frustrated since I’m not handing over the phone)
Me: You decide or Mommy decides?
DJ: (quiets down a bit and then keeps grabbing)
Me: Ok, you walk or Mommy carries you?
DJ: (still reaches and stomps for the phone)
Me: Ok, no problem (pick DJ up, carry him into the dining room)
Me: You can come back when you’re fun to be with, take your time (walk away)
DJ: Instantly follows me back to the living room
Me: Hey!  Are you gonna be fun? (big smile at him)
DJ: Looks curiously at Dwight & I and then gives us an enormous grin
Me & Dwight: Hey, that’s fun! Yay!  (big smiles and we proceed to play with something else)

This was one of my favorite “Fun or Other Room” times, as it completely diffused the situation, redirected his attention, and I didn’t have to hide my phone or get irritated.  It established a few boundaries of what “Fun” looks like when we’re playing together.  I realize it’s a small victory, but really we’re just beginning to teach him what behaviors and attitudes are “Fun” and he’ll be learning through process of elimination : )  I had a very different experience with him removing DVDs from our tower in the basement.  It took several trips of relocating him down the hallway (and actually one time of taking himself out of the room!) before he was distracted into doing something different.

The main goal of “Fun or Room is to teach DJ to use self control to govern himself and his actions, rather than me place external controls on him.  With the cell phone thing, I could’ve said, “No!  Don’t grab. Don’t yell.  Don’t hit.”  If he didn’t listen to that I then could’ve said, “Ok, you get a time out because you grabbed/yelled/hit”, and then get frustrated that he just wouldn’t listen to me and now I have to do a timeout and try to keep him in a chair or a corner for 2 minutes…  Eeesh!  Instead, he chose his behavior, and how he would leave the room, and when to return to the room, and upon returning, how he would continue to behave.  it was really beautiful to see him come back and smile and move on.

Here’s to a new week, hopefully full of solid naps and fun stories to share : )