My little guy just arrived home yesterday afternoon after having been away at my sister and her boyfriend's place since last Friday.
From the descriptions they gave me there were a few difficulties with him this time around. He had been there earlier in the summer, right around the time I did the move into the new apartment, it was helpful then so that I could get everything taken care of and be in the new place by the time he got home. This time around things were different. Normally when he's with them he's semi-spoiled, which is fine, every kid needs a little of that now and then. The way things worked this time was that they worked more toward a parent side of things with him. They let him get away with less than he normally would have and, for the most part, stuck to the rules/guidelines that I have in place for him.
The reason behind the difference this time around, with them, was due to my mom being in the hospital. They stepped in as an assistance to me, with the separation that I was still trying to find the proper balance from, mom being in the hospital and my job they felt it would be good to take him for a few days but keep on him with the 'house rules'. It's a step to try and balance him in a way, they (and I) didn't want inconsistency at this point, especially with the changes that have taken place so rapidly over the last couple of months in my (and his) life.
They discovered that the parenting game is a little harder than they expected and that kids can sometimes be crafty. There were a few time that they had issues with him eating food that they gave him for meals and then later in the day trying to trick them into giving him a treat, standard stuff for most parents but for the unprepared parent it can throw a wrench into your discipline tactics.
There was a point when my sister called me to ask what would be best to do with a kid who had been sitting at the kitchen table for an hour staring at a piece of French Toast, unwilling to eat it. I told her what I'd do (a. either let him sit there until he ate it, or b. take it away but ensure that he got nothing other than water 'till lunch...even if he goes over to someones house and they try and give him a treat).
From what her and her boyfriend told me and from what I've seen in his behavior since he got back I'm pleased. I'm also pretty sure that this whole experience has cemented to both my sister and her boyfriend that they don't want to have kids of their own.
Regardless of the experiences they had over the last few days they are still more than willing to be his God Parents, from what I've seen I think they would fill the post quite well.
Peace,
ClX
From the descriptions they gave me there were a few difficulties with him this time around. He had been there earlier in the summer, right around the time I did the move into the new apartment, it was helpful then so that I could get everything taken care of and be in the new place by the time he got home. This time around things were different. Normally when he's with them he's semi-spoiled, which is fine, every kid needs a little of that now and then. The way things worked this time was that they worked more toward a parent side of things with him. They let him get away with less than he normally would have and, for the most part, stuck to the rules/guidelines that I have in place for him.
The reason behind the difference this time around, with them, was due to my mom being in the hospital. They stepped in as an assistance to me, with the separation that I was still trying to find the proper balance from, mom being in the hospital and my job they felt it would be good to take him for a few days but keep on him with the 'house rules'. It's a step to try and balance him in a way, they (and I) didn't want inconsistency at this point, especially with the changes that have taken place so rapidly over the last couple of months in my (and his) life.
They discovered that the parenting game is a little harder than they expected and that kids can sometimes be crafty. There were a few time that they had issues with him eating food that they gave him for meals and then later in the day trying to trick them into giving him a treat, standard stuff for most parents but for the unprepared parent it can throw a wrench into your discipline tactics.
There was a point when my sister called me to ask what would be best to do with a kid who had been sitting at the kitchen table for an hour staring at a piece of French Toast, unwilling to eat it. I told her what I'd do (a. either let him sit there until he ate it, or b. take it away but ensure that he got nothing other than water 'till lunch...even if he goes over to someones house and they try and give him a treat).
From what her and her boyfriend told me and from what I've seen in his behavior since he got back I'm pleased. I'm also pretty sure that this whole experience has cemented to both my sister and her boyfriend that they don't want to have kids of their own.
Regardless of the experiences they had over the last few days they are still more than willing to be his God Parents, from what I've seen I think they would fill the post quite well.
Peace,
ClX
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