why they should be in trouble, but aren't

These two pictures show clear evidence that my boys are being naughty.


They shouldn't be running around in just their underwear.
They shouldn't be stuffing heaven knows what down their underwear. That is just gross.
They shouldn't be coloring on themselves. Bennett wanted to draw bones on himself and Owen body paints just because he can.



They shouldn't be playing with the cushions. I have told them more times than I can count not to take the cushions off the couch.
They shouldn't have food outside the kitchen.
They shouldn't have torn up the food making an even bigger mess to clean up. Can you guess what the are doing here? They are eating the sacrament.

But I can't punish them. Why you ask? They certainly deserve it. I can't because they are actually playing together nicely. The past several months they have been fighting like cats and dogs. Bennett doesn't have a lot of patience with a 2 years old and Owen doesn't have any patience because he is a 2 year old.

I have been putting them in time-out literally nonstop, but it has had no effect on their behavior. A few weeks ago, Scott delicately suggested to me that perhaps the time-out wasn't working. I was well aware that it wasn't, but with a newborn to juggle I wasn't in the mood to try anything revolutionary, you know like positive reinforcement. I was just easier to throw them in time-out so I could at least feel like I was doing something.

About three weeks ago I decided that I needed to do something else. I went to the party store and bought a whole roll of raffle tickets and a bag of tootsie rolls. Then for family night I explained the new system. Each kid has 2 behaviors they are working on and if I catch them doing the right behaviors I will give them a ticket. When you get a certain number of tickets then you get candy. I know, I know, I should be offering them carrot sticks or apples slices as rewards, but I know that won't fly around here. Sugar is pure motivation for my boys.



Taylor is working on doing his entire "bedroom routine" without being reminded and to do what I ask the first time. When he gets 8 tickets he gets a treat.
Bennett is working on playing nicely with Owen and staying in his bed when the lights get turned off at night. When he gets 5 tickets he gets a treat.
Owen pretty much gets candy when the other two earn theirs since he is too young to understand at this point and throws a fit if he doesn't get candy when someone else does.

I must say that I have seen a huge improvement in their behaviors. This positive reinforcement thing actually works! Not like I didn't know that before. Bennett and Owen still have their moments, but all in all they are playing a lot better together. Taylor doesn't need reminding and Bennett for the first time ever is staying in his bed. So even though they will be cleaning up their messes and their bodies, I will give them a ticket for at least playing instead of fighting.