21 days to change a habit

I've been reading this great book called Creative Corrections by Lisa Whelchel. She talks about different ways we can correct and train up our kids that are well...creative. It takes 21 days to change a habit. We are trying this method with C-bear. We don't want to force him to stop sucking his thumb...it's kind of hard to constantly observe since he only does it while he is sleeping...when we are sleeping ;) It has to be a choice that he chooses to make on his own. So we told him if he could stop sucking his thumb for 21 days, he could go to the toy store and pick out a toy. I don't think it really had an effect on him until we actually took him to the toy store to look around. I kept reminding him of what he needed to do if he picked up a toy that he really liked. Well, when he took his nap that day, he fell asleep without his thumb. I know this because I was watching him as he fell asleep in his car seat while we were parked outside waiting for E-pie to finish her ballet lessons. He had his little Mr. Lion, his lovey for automatic thumb-sucking. He played for awhile with his pants before gazing out his window and falling asleep. I did give him a small instant reward when he got up for not sucking his thumb. I figured 21 days is a long time to wait to get your reward for a little 2 year old. Then, at bedtime, he asked if we could go to the toy store if he didn't suck his thumb. Hubby and I agreed that we would reward him with a trip to the toy store at 14 days if he didn't suck his thumb...but the kicker is it has to be consecutively. If he forgets, we start over. But we'll probably reward him again at 21 days, too. We'll see how it works.

Well, when I was woken up by my daughter this morning at 5:15am (she came and sat in our room) and then again at 6am (she came back). I sent her back to her room to lay down until 7ish. I thought that I should probably get up. I have been trying to work on getting up earlier...like before my children and maybe even my hubby but it's so hard because I LOVE to sleep! I have never been a morning person but I know I need to change that if I am to homeschool because I want to start our day off with me ready for the day, not dragging my groggy rear out of bed because my kids are already up. That is not the way I want to homeschool. So then I thought of C-bear's plan to break a habit and thought maybe I needed this, too. If I slip up and choose to sleep, I start over but I actually do it for 21 days. We'll see if it is true. So here it goes.

We are also using her Sad Jar and Happy Jar idea with the kids to make good choices.
I am really enjoying her book :)



~ H