My Journey With Attachment Disorder

Mom's Way

Monday, March 24, 2008

After all the moaning and groaning about losing his Nintendo for good, we got home from the therapist's office, and Tony plopped down on the couch with a Gameboy, and started playing. He said Dillon gave it to him. He was instructed to put it away and go to bed. I confiscated it from his bookbag and took it to work with me. He's not going to feel any pain of the loss of the Nintendo if he has the Gameboy! He was thinking on his feet! Besides, right now he is going to be getting a lot of practice doing things Mom's way. I will be deciding how he spends his time when he is not in school.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008



Tony would not get up this morning, even though he was awake. I let the extra loud alarm clock continue to blast for 15 minutes to make sure he was awake. He was tired, though, and just didn’t get up. I warned him that I had to be at work on time, and would leave him if he didn’t get dressed in time to go with me. I did leave, and even after I blew the horn, he did not come out to the car. As I drove to work, I called Kellye and she said he was just sitting there. Since he had just given Aunt Rita a very hard time several days before that about getting dressed for school, I told Kellye that I would just call the police and see if they would be willing to escort him to school. She begged me not to call the police, since she has her own issues with the police. I told her the only other option was for her to walk him to school. She happily agreed, and she walked him to school. It was very cold for March, and I don’t think he liked having to walk. She rushed him the whole way because she was anxious to get out the cold herself. I called the school and explained what happened, and they talked to him also about being on time for school.



Tony had ball practice, so we didn’t have much time to practice doing things “Mom’s way”. However, I did instruct him after supper to get on his pajamas and listen to his relaxing CD. He crossed his arms over his chest and sat there. I reminded him that the only way to earn his freedoms was to get lots of practice doing things “Mom’s way,” and that the two tasks I had asked him to do were very easy things. He decided to comply.



Bedtime—James has started having 15 minutes of talk/wind-down time after going to bed. So far, it seems to be making bedtime go more smoothly.



Wednesday, March 26, 2008



We had a little more time to practice “Mom’s way”. I first gave him the opportunity to play basketball while I watched. He pouted and sternly said that he wanted to play softball instead. I said that wasn’t an option, and I put his sports bag with his softball stuff in it in the trunk of the car. By then he had the basketball and was beginning to play. However, I said that it was too late for that now, because he had not done things “Mom’s way.” Instead he picked up toys and trash out of the front yard. I pointed out a few things he overlooked, and then gave him a high-five afterwards for doing things Mom’s way.



We then went inside to get his bath before Bible class. After his bath he only had a short time to eat supper. He said he wasn’t hungry, and I told him that after church he could only have milk. He agreed that he would be fine. He didn’t appreciate me escorting him to his class or picking him up from class, but I was there nevertheless. When we got home he headed to the kitchen for something to eat. I poured him a glass of milk, which he did not want. He moaned and groaned about being hungry. I reminded him that milk was his only choice, and told him that he could either drink the milk and go to bed, or just go to bed. I assured him that in my whole life time I had never heard of any child dying after missing one supper. He finally went to bed when I explained to him that his time was up, and that he could either go to bed, or lose ball practice.



Two points for “Mom’s Way.” Yea!


Warrior Mom

** Image ID #1433274 Unavailable ** ** Image ID #1435990 Unavailable ** ** Image ID #1433551 Unavailable **