When Lakelyn started school, I knew there would be days that she got in trouble. It is her first year of big school and there are rules that have to be followed. Well, I almost had a heart attack when she got her first "squishy" face on the 3rd day of school. I thought that maybe it would take her a bit to get warmed up. But then I remembered that I was dealing with my daughter who looks nothing like me but acts JUST like me. Too Much Talking......
So after the first "squishy" face, I had a little talk with her and tried to make her understand that she had to follow the rules that were given to her. As I am doing this, Jason is trying to keep a straight face because I was voted Most Talkative in Middle and High School. However, I did not think that a 5 year old should have that much to say.
So we carried on for about one and a half weeks and low and behold another one of those squished up faces for talking. Dang It! What to do?!?! So this time the punishment was no computer games ( Webkinz, Disney or Dress Up Dolls are her favorites) for the night. She was completely OK with this because in her room there is cable, toys, books, etc. so she really could have cared less.
Next, Hurricane Ike ended school for about 2 weeks so Lakelyn felt like she had completed Kindergarten and was off to the First Grade. Trying to explain that she had to go back to Kindergarten was tough but she finally understood........
I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt when the next face came in for talking about 2 days after school reopened. School had been out so really it was like starting over. Two days after this face arrived in her folder, I was waiting in the dreadful car rider line and I saw Lakelyn crying on the sidewalk. I knew immediately that she had done something.......Oh Yeah, TALKING!
I decided to get a little tougher this time. She had been warned, talked to and given the benefit of the doubt too many times. After the tears were dried up, I made Lakelyn go without computer, Jason had a "Come To Jesus Meeting" with her and she had to go to time out for about 10 minutes.......This was obviously not harsh enough. So yes, she gets more faces for too much talking.
After several more squishy faces, early bedtimes, no computer and finally a spanking I thought we had the problem under control. We had several weeks with nothing but green smileys. Lakelyn was rewarded and praised constantly for her good behavior. We had a meeting with her teacher at the end of the first nine weeks and she said she was doing great. her report card was just wonderful! All sights set on green..........Until today.
I leave the office and get to the baby sitter's house. When I see Lakelyn she looks at me and wants to "tell me a secret." Squishy Face, Too Much Talking. When Jason got home he asked how her day went and the tears started pouring. The punishment tonight was no T.V. , No Pretty ( her favorite baby doll ) in bed tonight, no computer and early bedtime. You would have thought we were killing her........ The tears lasted for about 15 minutes then she realized we were not going to budge so just accepted her punishment and all is quiet in our house now.
I guess my point to this entire blurb of talking madness is that now I really see that Lakelyn truly does have a lot of me in her........Looks like she inherited the talkative gene :)