Johnny Walker

RE: The SYO
This afternoon I was playing school with the SYO. In an unusual turn of events, she actually asked ME to be the teacher.

Being the absolutely un-creative person that I can be at times (especially when I'm tired and one becomes especially tired when an 11 month old gets up at 6 a.m.), I decided to teach a little economics.

She got the whole people-buy-more-when-the-price-falls thing (i.e. the law of demand) without a glitch, but when I went on to compliments and substitutes, it got a little more interesting.

So, what do you always eat with your ham sandwiches?

Cheetoz.

Okay, so let's say that the price of ham sandwiches increases.

Okay.

So, will you buy more or less Cheetoz?

I'd have bologna.

RE: Big
So as of Tuesday (the 14th), he is officially walking. I was standing in the kitchen, and he just walked right out from the living room. Something shifted; he no longer looked to the next stable thing to hold him up. As BioMom said, it was like riding a bike. He figured out the balance and just took off.

That is not to say that there aren't spectacular falls.

MO4 (That is "Mother of Four", who debutes in the blog today and who is soon to be a major player in Big's life as I transition back to part-time teaching at Macalester this spring) was over yesterday and Big was all puffy-chested, showing off his new skills. The SYO and her pal, FoF (Four-of-Four) headed into the back room to get some coloring tools when Big just took off following them as if to say:

Look at me! I can follow the big kids now without ANY help!

He was obviously extremely proud of himself, when suddenly: BAM! BANG! and from the SYO: MAMAAAAAAA

She and I crashed into each other, me running toward the room they were all in, her running out of the room, leaping over the fallen, Big, who was in the midst of that terrifying moment of open-mouthed silence before the wailing is unleashed. Mo4 and I scooped him up and held him out for a little head-check, only to find NOTHING. Not a bump or a scratch.

What the hell? I wondered. You'd have thought he had a hole in his skull by the sound of his screams.

Mo4 says: Oh, he's just embarrased.

What? Could this be true? I thought.

Mo4, matter-of-factly: Yeah -- he was so proud of himself, showing off for me! It's just his pride.

Relief and astonishment from me. This seems like such a boy thing. I never saw that kind of a reaction from the SYO. Either she was hurt or she was fine. She was rarely embarrased by a fall! And, how could our little baby boy have turned into a boy with real 'boy behaviors' so soon?

Kids, Like Adults, Misunderstand Inflation

So, in an attempt to extort better behavior from our S-going on 16-year old, we have copied a little trick from the friends we just visited in Burlington. Not that it's rocket science, and not that we've not tried similar tools, it's just that we are motivated again. Anyway, it is a weekly chart, noting all required activities on the upper columns with expectations about behavior and point values on the rows. These include things like "Have a positive attitude" (read: no complaining) or "Get Dressed, Brush Hair and Teeth" in the morning, and finally "Exhibit great manners during mealtimes."

On a daily basis she can earn points (or lose points) through her behavior (emphasize: her choices).

The chart also places values on various daily priviledges and bigger ones that need to be earned over time.

Tonight we sat down and talked as a family about the expectations in the rows, their point values and the values of the priviledges that she can earn. BioMom and I nodded in agreement when the SYO initially started to place values on the activities (12 points, for example for keeping her room picked up). We winked at each other, in full knowledge that we would have the rewards reflect this inflation.

The SYO clearly understood the notion of valuing the points and their link to the rewards: But getting dressed is really hard with the zipper in the back of my jumper! It deserves a lot of points.

At that currency, we valued a sleepover at 1200 points. This was based on a weekly potential earning of 300 points. We figured that at her best behavior, she could only earn one sleepover per month (which is well beyond our usual schedule of one per three months).

The SYO was shocked: WHAAAT? 1200 points???

Me: Do you want me to lower all of the values so it won't seem so big?

SYO: Yea!

I lowered all of the points so that now, a sleepover was valued at 300 points and her maximum earnings for any given event is 2 points.

Sure, the rewards cost less, but her wages fell accordingly.