Consistency

Consistency. Consistency is key. Every bit of advice I've asked for since having Little Man has boiled down to one thing - consistency. I'll admit it was getting a little old but you know what? It's true.
We've been having trouble with Little Man listening. Yeah I know - every parent of a child of any age is laughing hysterically at that statement. Go ahead... you can say it... No Yit Really? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I said it. Get over it.

So we've been having an issue and I listened to the Cardinal Rule of Parenting but damn it is hard. Tonight he wouldn't go upstairs at bedtime as instructed so John told him no books at bedtime. We've done this in the past and whoo boy he had a melt down. Since it has been done before, it was done again tonight. There was a temper tantrum and the start of a meltdown but he never went nuclear. We kept to the rest of the bedtime routine and that seemed to solve the problem.

I stayed with Little Man for awhile after he climbed into bed. As I kissed him goodnight and started to head downstairs he asked where his books were. Ugh, here we go. The meltdown is coming.

"Nobody bring books tonight? No one?"

No. No one

"Daddy not bring books tonight?"

No, Daddy didn't bring books tonight. Do you know why?

"Yes. He don't bring books because I don't listen. I crawl around and around on the couch and not listen to daddy".

So if you want books tomorrow night are you going to listen to Daddy?

"Yes. Tomorrow I listen to Daddy and tomorrow I get books".

We still have to see what tomorrow brings but I think I may have witnessed, first hand, the results of Consistency.