It’s been about two and a half months since we decided (or rather, the wife strongly suggested) that we move to using 1-2-3 Magic with the Monster. We started with it in the middle of August (see *POOF* Magic!) and…
I said, about a month ago, that it’s been a mitigated success. The bane of implementing the system has been consistency between us in when we’re holding him to the system.
For those of you who have not tried it, the basic understanding is this – don’t yell, don’t threaten, don’t bully, don’t negotiate. Just do. They get two chances to correct their behavior once you warn them that they’re not doing something appropriately, then it’s off to time-out (his room, which is gated) for a number of minutes equal to his age.
Now, I don’t know how well it works or doesn’t with normal kids – I know from talking to friends of ours who are using it with their children that they’re having no success whatsoever. Their children run rampant regardless of warnings, and it’s a problem both at home and on the road. What I do know is how it works with the Monster.
I love it. I know I had reservations about the efficacy of the system when I was reading it initially, but I’m quite happy with how it works when I implement it.
It’s perhaps been once in the last week that I’ve gotten to three with him, and that’s with all of the disruptions we’ve had to his schedule and how it can throw him off. It works in public and in private. Most of the time, he’s compliant the moment I start counting and at least does (for a few minutes) what I ask. To me, the biggest problem is getting him from the powder room (where his potty is) back into the living room without deviations into the study or family room, and when he runs off-course, it just takes my starting with a warning to get him back and where he belongs.
Now to work on that consistency thing between us…