Boys Will Be Boys & Back to The Basics!

You don't have to look very far around here to see evidence of a boy-filled household. There are lots of little reminders going on from us as parents these days about proper behavior and remembering manners and so on. We have had a few years now to get used to having two boys and a baby. But Pierce is not a baby anymore and he is now right in the mix of things in lots of ways. Life feels a lot more boyish these days....and I find myself having to return to the basics. Frequently.

We remind the boys over and over during mealtimes about what we want our table scene to look like - which manners we are to practice in this scene...that we are now expected to remain seated......napkins are much more efficient than our own t-shirt, or even our hair for that matter....I do have hope that it will eventually register :) Ya see, now that we have another actual boy and not a baby in Pierce - there is another whole dynamic of interaction going on. And the truth is - believe it or not - I don't handle noise all that well....especially at the table. We are slowly making positive strides. We talk about voice volumes and banging plates and spoons and staying in our chairs and all that good stuff. The basics...right??

I guess you could say that we - Benjy and I - are committed to not just living under the excuse that "well, they are boys". Oh ya - they definitely are...and there is a time and a place for them to be the boys that that statement implies...but there is conext in life too. It doesn't mean they have to be wild and out of control. This standard will for sure be a life project for us...but I think well worth the effort (now there is a statement of faith!!)

But I say all that above to get to the real point here. Loud noise, lots of jumping and wrestling, digging for cool bugs and tracking footprints through the house - as of late - I can handle all of those. Even 3 of them in full fledged boyishness - and a growing belly as proof that more boy is on the way - I am not shaken. But you wanna know what is really really rattling me lately and what I am not very good at bridling my reactions about?!?!? Bad aim at the toilet and the continual amnesia about how to flush a toilet.. I mean really guys? Pierce is still in diapers so holds no blame in this department....yet! My husband has enough years of experience that I am not gonna look to him as the guilty party. It is these other two male species...who technically have been through and are successful graduates of the "potty training school for boys" - diploma and all - for a number of years now. Is it really actually that difficult to aim? I do not know from personal experience but... come on. They aren't even that far off the ground yet! And to flush? Please. Isn't this basic??????

During the weekend I had had enough! Apparently the verbal teaching techniques have not registered as of late. So....I decided to take very simple, practical steps in an attempt to provide a more visual and practical means of remembering simple bathroom responsibilities. I asked Reece and Chase to take a seat on the floor and to state back to me the colors of the 2 papers I held out in front of them. They correctly replied, "yellow"; the other, "white". Simple enough. I then shared with them my deepest desire to see "white" in the bathroom at all times....and it is now our new code language. My other practical teaching tool.....showing each of them that bad aim is not the forbidden act but failing to use a wet wipe to clean the mess up - completely up - most certainly is. We will see how they "take" to these "back to the basics" principles.

It won't actually be too long before we are in the stage of beginning another potty training course for little Piersen. If things don't improve with his two older brothers, they may be required to register again and start the learning (and the aiming) all over again!

You may be thinking, ya, but boys will be boys...and my rebuttle is...sure - boys will be boys but my boys are gonna aim and then flush!