Consolidated Kansas

[chicken danz]

Your son will get over it when he creates some fun for himself. We didn't have the option to sit in the house and watch TV when I was a kid. If you were inside you were working, so it was easy for us to find plenty to do outside. Don't get me started on my old fashioned opinions. I think about the things we used to do and we had so much fun. Of course there were kids in the neighborhood to play with. They weren't inside in front of a video game or a TV.
Sometimes I wonder how we handled the temperature extremes. but we never had air conditioning and our heat was individual gas heaters in different rooms. So, I guess we were well acclimated.
I have to admit that I tried to let my kids be kids. Then, if they wanted something I made them 'work' for it. It seemed to instill a good work ethic in them. I didn't spank my kids because I only minded my parents out of fear. I used a point system. If they did all they were supposed to- they got points. Points equaled something special. If they didn't behave they got points taken away. If everyone got their points the family did something special together. If someone screwed up and lost all their points then the family didn't get to do anything. Let me tell you it works. You don't want your siblings mad at you because you messed up for the week.
When the kids misbehaved I sent them to their rooms. It drove them nuts to sit there alone with no games or TV or anyone to talk to.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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Get him into scout. The closest pack is in Perry.

 

[Ivywoods]

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I never spanked any of my kids... no, I take that back. There was one time my oldest ran out into the middle of a busy street. SCARED THE CRAP OUT OF ME! I spanked his bottom HARD and told him, "Don't you ever do that again!" He never did. I think spanking him was more of a reaction on my part, and was very spontaneous. Didn't even think about it. Other than that, I used time outs (we had a time-out bench) and privleges and rewards. The kids minded because I NEVER made threats. If I told them we would leave if they misbehaved, then we would leave, even if "I" didn't want to leave, then boy there would be loss of privleges after that. Sometimes my kids would tell me I was "mean" but that didn't bother me a bit. My reply was, "You bet I am!" When they got older they would tease me with that statement and then give me a hug.

My oldest just about lived on the time out bench, but it worked for him. We would set the timer on the microwave and he would sit and plan numbers games in his head as the timer counted down. He spent so much time on the time out bench maybe that is why he is a calculus wizzard! My daughter (God rest her soul) needed time outs once in a while, but the time outs didn't always work for her, and I would have to take away privleges now and then. My youngest son never needed time outs. You could just correct him verbally.... he was so easy!

 

[chicken danz]

One more point. Everyone has ideas about how to raise their kids. But the one thing I can't stress enough is take the time to love them and enjoy them. They are grown and gone before you know it and you can't get it back!

 

[justinwrites]

Yeah, we had steam heat when I was a kid, and then wood heat only for a couple of years. But we always spent the hottest part of the year in one room, a family of 5. Obviously I spent as much time as I could stand outside.

What clobbered me was my son was using one of his video games multiplayer modes to make up stories like I did with action figures as a kid. He was dumbfounded by the idea of using a toy to do that. Now he's really into it. I worked really hard to stave off the electronic addiction. He really doesn't watch much more tv than I did as a kid before school and on saturday mornings. But his favorite activity is to put on costumes cobbled together from old Halloween costumes to make his own super heroes and play make believe that way. Of course we don't have cable, only the internet so that helps.

But my son demonstrates some behaviors consistent with borderline Asperger's which manifests itself in some social awkwardness that compounded with being the new family in a small town. We had a really hard time socializing him until this summer when the foreclosure across from us was bought by a family of 10. Instant baseball team. That also means that usually punishment for misbehaving is supplemented with a teachable moment. We have to first determine if he did it out of orneriness, forgetfulness, or if he just hadn't considered what he was doing.

Huh, well I may have just over shared

 

[justinwrites]

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Ain't that the truth.

 

[Hawkeye95]

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eh, don't we all! I think my kids watch too much tv, and that is partly my fault since I am putting it on so I can get things done. However, they do play outside a lot. They are all still young, so things are still easier with them- they love to play with their toys. I am against gaming- just a personal thing. We have no video games in the house- except a hand held game that plays Suduko that my oldest likes to play in the car. There are exceptions to everything, of course.

Danz, where did you get wild turkeys? Are you going to release them? Are you part of some program to help them grow their numbers? I find that very interesting! Are they sort of a black color? The wild turkeys we have around here are kind of black or dark brown... I'm never up that close to them, so I'm not real sure. I have a funny wild turkey story. I was walking out to the horse barn late one night- it was really dark. We have round bales of hay that lines the drive that goes out to the barn and I always walk along there- usually a bunny scares out running. Well, that night I was half way to the barn and all of a sudden, screaming squaks and cries and gobbles started up with big heavy wings beating the air, and I nearly had a heart attack and jumped out of my skin! A little flock of turkey was roosting on my hay bales and freaked when they saw me. I have to admit... I did scream like a girl at first... hehe! That had never happened before and never since.

 

[Ivywoods]

Quote:
Ain't that the truth.

x2 or is that x3 now?

 

[sharol]

I'd like to add that you need to remember that it is much harder to be a good parent than it is to be a friend to your kids. Parents need to keep in mind that they are the adults in the relationship.

Quote:
Ain't that the truth.

x2 or is that x3 now?

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

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eh, don't we all! I think my kids watch too much tv, and that is partly my fault since I am putting it on so I can get things done. However, they do play outside a lot. They are all still young, so things are still easier with them- they love to play with their toys. I am against gaming- just a personal thing. We have no video games in the house- except a hand held game that plays Suduko that my oldest likes to play in the car. There are exceptions to everything, of course.

Danz, where did you get wild turkeys? Are you going to release them? Are you part of some program to help them grow their numbers? I find that very interesting! Are they sort of a black color? The wild turkeys we have around here are kind of black or dark brown... I'm never up that close to them, so I'm not real sure. I have a funny wild turkey story. I was walking out to the horse barn late one night- it was really dark. We have round bales of hay that lines the drive that goes out to the barn and I always walk along there- usually a bunny scares out running. Well, that night I was half way to the barn and all of a sudden, screaming squaks and cries and gobbles started up with big heavy wings beating the air, and I nearly had a heart attack and jumped out of my skin! A little flock of turkey was roosting on my hay bales and freaked when they saw me. I have to admit... I did scream like a girl at first... hehe! That had never happened before and never since.

broad breasted bronze turkeys look a lot like wild turkey.