Challenge Accepted

Changing habits and shifting cultures was the focus today. Both at work and at home. 

At work:
I sat in an 8 hour session going over 5 areas that needed to be addressed in our government agency to shift the culture from top to bottom and all around. To go from "sink or swim" to "collaboration and well-being" cultures. It will be slow but effective as long as we believe and lead from any chair. It will take 5-7 years. I have hope. I am intrigued and excited. Challenge accepted. 

At home:
My child got in trouble at daycare. The babysitter has 20+ years experience and for her to lose her calmness means my kiddo did something bad. He yelled, cried, broke rules, woke up his friends at nap time and cried wolf all day long. When he gets in trouble--we get in trouble. 
Two days in a row he fell asleep 2-3 hours past his bedtime because we engaged in bedtime fighting. 
Today we decided we are changing our routine, plus his punishment was no TV, dinner and early bedtime. We discussed his behaviors--as much as you can with a 3 year old but we held our ground. We had a plan to stand by his door and not let him out. Normally we read a book or two, he hops in bed and then we start a dance where he hops out of bed, we put him back in, he opens his door to go pee, he needs a drink etc. So this unlike my work is scary, difficult, challenging and it tears at my heart. But like work, challenge accepted. I do not want my child to be the brat child that is annoying-you know the type of kid I am talking about. No need to go into further details. 



Night 1--success. We think he knew and understood his behaviors were unacceptable. We got no fight. No manipulation. No sweet words. Just a grunt and "okay..."

We will see the next few days. 

Self-Care Practices of the Day:

1. I went to work but took a day to work on myself and my role. I wanted to learn. I have to do other things outside my normal duties to grow, enhance my creativity which allows for innovation. 
2. Applied "First 10 seconds" Something I learned from a training--walk into a room and say nothing for 10 seconds before discussing with my child what happened. Before I said anything he explained to me how he had gotten in trouble and needed to be alone. I respected his request; told him I'd be in the living room and to come out when he was ready to discuss his day.  
3. Gave credit when credit was due: his dad had done the hard work of informing him he'd get no TV, did not allow him to ride the pony or pet the chicks at the pet store when they went to buy dog food. All without losing his cool. 
4. Spoke to my sponsor about my day, my fears and concerns around our parenting skills. She reminded me that feelings pass; they are temporary and I am not doing my child or myself any favors by allowing him to run our lives (manipulate my heart--I know; I was labeled a master manipulator by the docs in rehab). 

La DNA.