Knowing that my boys both are in need of funds for Christmas gift buying I made a deal with them.
I made a bet that Austin couldn't go one week without saying "Don't tell me what to do." Which is his standard response to EVERYTHING I tell him to do. Actually it's the standard response when anyone tells him anything. It's not in an angry voice or threatening or anything, it's just a quip-y Austin response.
As of tomorrow he will get his ten dollars for making it the whole week. He's come close a few times with "Don't tell me...." but then caught himself.
Alex's word of choice is "man". He says it after everything.
"Hey man!"
"Cool man!"
"Okay man!"
"No way man!"
Honestly? He probably says the word "man" about fifty times a day!! It's especially annoying to me and his sisters as we are NOT men. His bet started Wednesday night.
Thursday afternoon he let the first "man" slip. Since it's only one word instead of a sentence where you can stop yourself before he finishes-like Austin-I just took one dollar off our bet. Within three hours Alex lost the other nine dollars! He teared up a little at "man" number six but pulled it together quickly. We talked about how it's important to be in control of our speech and the habits that can easily over take us. The last "man" he said was because it wasn't worth a dollar to abstain from saying it for six more days. At least he knows the value of a dollar.
"I just work" he told us after the last dollar was gone and James found him a job to do for money.
He has been better however and I don't notice him saying "man" after every word and sentence like before so hopefully my little experiment worked. However, once he had lost all the money he said "Man, man, man!" And "I love Man!" and made up for his 24 hour restraint.
James was appalled at first when he heard I had made bets with his sons (not so much the betting part but to pay them for such a dumb thing!) but then I whispered to him "I'm going to have to give them money anyway for Christmas, I might as well get something out of it!" he laughed and laughed.
I made a bet that Austin couldn't go one week without saying "Don't tell me what to do." Which is his standard response to EVERYTHING I tell him to do. Actually it's the standard response when anyone tells him anything. It's not in an angry voice or threatening or anything, it's just a quip-y Austin response.
As of tomorrow he will get his ten dollars for making it the whole week. He's come close a few times with "Don't tell me...." but then caught himself.
Alex's word of choice is "man". He says it after everything.
"Hey man!"
"Cool man!"
"Okay man!"
"No way man!"
Honestly? He probably says the word "man" about fifty times a day!! It's especially annoying to me and his sisters as we are NOT men. His bet started Wednesday night.
Thursday afternoon he let the first "man" slip. Since it's only one word instead of a sentence where you can stop yourself before he finishes-like Austin-I just took one dollar off our bet. Within three hours Alex lost the other nine dollars! He teared up a little at "man" number six but pulled it together quickly. We talked about how it's important to be in control of our speech and the habits that can easily over take us. The last "man" he said was because it wasn't worth a dollar to abstain from saying it for six more days. At least he knows the value of a dollar.
"I just work" he told us after the last dollar was gone and James found him a job to do for money.
He has been better however and I don't notice him saying "man" after every word and sentence like before so hopefully my little experiment worked. However, once he had lost all the money he said "Man, man, man!" And "I love Man!" and made up for his 24 hour restraint.
James was appalled at first when he heard I had made bets with his sons (not so much the betting part but to pay them for such a dumb thing!) but then I whispered to him "I'm going to have to give them money anyway for Christmas, I might as well get something out of it!" he laughed and laughed.
4 of my blog friends said something...:
That is pretty funny...
way fun!! hope you all have a wonderful christmas! curious did alex get the belated baptism card we sent him? i think we sent your families christmas card the other day!
haha! Great post. What a cute kid. You always make fun out of lessons.
You are clever with lessons...I could learn a thing or two...
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