Suggestions Please
SS11 and SS6 continue to treat our living room like a wrestling ring. They haven't hurt themselves or broken anything - yet. But DH and I are both at the end of our rope over this. Here's what we've tried:
Making them clean the living room when we catch them wrestling.
Time-outs.
Banning them from the furiniture ie. sit on the floor.
We've now resorted to banning them from the room. The only problem is then they wrestle in the dining room - ugh. So now we've been making them go to thier room or outside.
DH and I have tried everything and are looking for some fresh ideas - wintering is coming and sending them outside won't always be an option.
~BettyRay
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Comments
smack the $hit out of them...
oh, im sorry...was that unacceptable?? (lol!)
honestly, what about taking things away? like tv, video games, etc? im guessing yelling doesnt work. why do they wrestle so much?? are they little monkeys?
"Given the right reasons and the right two people, marriage is a wonderful way of experiencing your life."
~the late great George Carlin
smack him too ;)
"Given the right reasons and the right two people, marriage is a wonderful way of experiencing your life."
~the late great George Carlin
House Rule: No wrestling indoors. Period.
If they want to act like little animals, then they can go outside where animals belong.
Seriously though, the age difference- 5 years, and they're wrestling like that? Sooner or later the younger one's going to get hurt.
I have two boys myself and I do not tolerate any type of behavior like that in my house. Never have- never will. If you need to act like that- take it outside, regardless of the weather.
"If you have never been hated by a child, you have never been a parent."
-Bette Davis
Good Point
5teensathome,
DH and I have both been worried SS6 will get hurt. I seperate them when I see it starting and DH does too. I feel lucky in that DH is on board with this one. He's disciplined SS11 a number of times and explained that SS6 could be seriously hurt. He's also done the same with SS6, as he usually starts it - SS6 has a horrible temper. DH and I talk to him all the time about not getting physical when he's angry. That it's alright to be upset at someone, but it's not alright to hit them. I think it's slowly sinking in.
DH has also talked to BM about it and she doesn't have a problem with them wrestling at her house, of course she has a bigger living room than we do. Frankly, I think as long as no one is crying BM's fine with anything they do.
~BettyRay
__________________________________________________
"PROBLEMS ARE ONLY OPPORTUNITIES IN WORK CLOTHES."
-Henry Kaiser
LOL...
Bella you are to funny! I agree with 5teens, make it a rule, and if it's broken, take it outside. Just like "bouncers" in a bar, toss their a$$'s out."~waiting on the world to change~"
OMG I could have written this!!!
We are going through the same thing with SS8 & 11. Every day I have to tell them not to wrestle or jump on my furniture. It came to a head on Sunday & we told them if they do it again we are taking away the Wii & PS2 forever. I have told them over & over they are too smart to just be forgetting the rules & if there brother acted like this I would have spanked his ass long ago. BUT because I am their step mom I will never spank t hem, their dad piped in & said he could & would if this continues. He also told them if they ever hurt their baby brother with this wrestling crap he would stop visitation at our home & they would not be allowed over here again because they have been told repeatedly NOT to do this.
I made DH go out & talk to their mom when she picked the kids up. He didn't want to but guess what... she is having the SAME issues. Quote" There are some days that she is beside herself" from having to tell them the same things we are. HELLO!!! I told DH that is why the two of you have to coparent. Just don't assume she is gonna give you the old what happens at my house is my business & what happens at yours is yours.
I told him if the two of you don't nip this shit in the bud now they are going to grow up to play you like a violin. They are very good kids as a rule, but good kids need consistant rules & guidance too. Every time I yelled at them about the wrestling I asked if they acted like this at their moms & they told me no. HA! That & they weren't wrestling they were just having fun....I would tell them I find it hard to believe your mom would let you act like this or why you would choose to here because I am far more of a hard ass than your mom about stuff like this.
Wrestling?
Two boys? Together? Oh my!!!! They sound pretty normal. You could do a few things, depending on your sense of humor & parenting style.
1. tie them together (facing each other) They cannot be untied until they are quiet for 30 minutes
2. give them a room to wrestle in (a padded basement) with the condition that if someone gets hurt, no more wrestling
3. smack the shit out of them (that was my first response but Bellacita beat me to it)
4. start emptying their room (remove 1 thing that they absolutely love for each infraction)
What ever you decide to do----BE CONSISTENT. ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR STATED CONSEQUENCES TO A "t"!!!!!
crayon
stop you're killing me!
"A lie told often enough becomes the truth." - Vladimir Lenin
I would be sneaky about it
Try leaving small pointy things (Legos are great for that) on the floor. Then, when they're wrestling around and hurt themselves, say, "Well, that wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been wrestling around on the floor like we have asked you not to."
this is great
you are very clever elizabeth! all of you are!
On the upside, the guys I know that wrestled with their brothers all the time are able to hold their own if attacked and protect their family if they need to - they get a lot of practice trying to kill each other in your living room!
"A lie told often enough becomes the truth." - Vladimir Lenin
Wrestling Update
Thank you all so much!
DH and I informed the boys, yet again, that wrestling will not be tolerated in the house, period.
We agreed that we'd start by taking GameCube games, then the GameCube, then their DVDs, then the DVD player and finally the TV that's in their room.
SSons were freaked out, they are hooked in GameCube and we had a wrestling free weekend.
DH and I are just waiting for them to "forget", we're going to start with the game that's in the Gamecube
Why not take the favorite one first. I know this is going to be difficult but we've had enough.
~BettyRay
________________________________________________________________
"PROBLEMS ARE ONLY OPPORTUNITIES IN WORK CLOTHES."
-Henry Kaiser