Rule Changes..

We changes a few rules around here this week. I *thought* there would be dismay, whining, sobbing, and beached seal sounds BUT there hasn't been! For homeschool motivation, we let the kids earn "credits" for completion of work without procrastination, lollygagging, fit throwing, etc. They WERE being able to earn 10 minutes of time per subject. Until I realized the boy was just doing subject after subject every day (which is GREAT - don't get me wrong..) and playing video games for about an hour and a half. Which is grotesque. I could practically see his little brain oozing out of his brain. I'm not worried about this for wee girl, she just doesn't like the games nearly as much - but the reward wasn't working so she was only completing 2 subjects per day. Then comes the creeping in of TV time. We had all been sick for an extended period of time and TV time had also grown excessive. Once again, mostly for the boy.  That boy loves his electronics.

Enter the rule changes. The credits are now to be applied to a new game (by our picking and well - most like on clearance or used.. but still) and they have to have 45 to earn it. They can still earn playing time but there is a 30 (ish) minute limit that can be earned the rest goes towards the new game. The girl gets to apply credit towards her new game AND for everyday she completes her work (a minimum of 4 subjects) she gets to apply a credit to going to Michaels and picking out a craft. She LOVES crafts. She doesn't care for hours of video games, but would do crafts forever. So once she has 12 days worth of Michaels credits its craft time.

The TV rules are also very different. They had been turning the TV on as soon as the first one woke up and leaving it on until 8-8:30. Soo 2 ish hours. But that's now been modified to they each get to pick 1 show and we usually fast forward through the commercials. So 1 hour max there. They each get to pick 1 show around lunch time break. And in the afternoon they HAD BEEN either watching a movie or a few shows (remember they and I had been sick for several weeks, it's not always been like this..) This has been completely cut out. And they get to decide on 1 show together in the evening. So they were watching 5-6 hours of TV (which yes, nasty, grotesque, and brain rotting - I admit. ) to after we fast forward through commercials about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. 

I has expected a large amount of whining, in all honesty. But there hasn't been. T2 has asked a few times for a show in the afternoon - and maybe once a week we will - but not this week.  We will still be doing our traditional Saturday Movie Nights because it's now one of our family things. With the TV off, they go off and find a book and read or play outside (when it's warm enough) or just go play. I've had maybe 2 episodes of "I'm BOOOORRREED" but a quick "I'll find you something to clean" took care of that.

The long and short of it is, Rule Changes are a good thing. As long as you remain consistent with it. Stupid good parenting!