Both normally lovely children but both have developed not so suitable ways recently and I have to say I am running out of patience and ideas on how to deal with it.
I lost my rag this evening when they came back from a bike ride around the house 15min late. Told them off and then decided to eat on my own in the dining room. I left them in the kitchen with the instruction to just eat and sort the table out afterwards. Cue for very careful children who ate, cleaned the table and went upstairs to tidy their bedrooms wo asking.
BUT, 1- our dinner is a nice time where we can all connect together. I don't really want to put myself in time out on a regular basis.
2- it hasn't sorted the issue anyway so I need a more LT plan.
Issues that we have at the moment:
- Nothing gets done properly until I've 'checked' 2~3 times, something I am unwilling to do. I don't want to be an inspector iyswim.
- I can talk to them and they will look around, start playing with something, read and generally not taking any notice of what I am saying. I am probably saying the same thing too often but then things haven't changed (which also points to the need of a change in practice).
- Being rude in general (will interrupt conversation, demands rather than asking, expecting to be served, putting down from dc1 towards dc2 etc...)
- Doing things that they know are wrong (such as arriving late), just saying 'Oops' and then moving on as if nothing had happened (Next sentence was 'what do have to eat?'.
So any strategies??