Let it go already

We've been going through another round of "behavior boot camp" at our house. When Will turned four, I started calling it "the terrible twos times two." But, oh, that was a long seven months ago.

So, this morning, Will decided to jump on the couch. I told him not to jump on the couch. He continued to jump on the couch. I repeated, "No jumping on the couch. Stop right now."

"No," he said. "I don't want to stop."

Little punk...

Up the stairs, to Will's room. I'd like to stay I escorted him up there, but he's getting big and by the end I was sort of carrying/dragging him.

Next, he pulled a trick out his Auntie Sara's book and slammed the door in my face. (Sara did this so many times, Will's Grandpa actually took the door off the hinges. Mind you, she was closer to 14 than 4.)

I opened the door and said, "No TV. No TV at all today."

Scott and I didn't let Will watch TV for his earliest formative years. A decision we stand by. One unfortunate by-product is that it's now his favorite thing to do. We limit him to mornings during the week and we're pretty liberal on the weekends (mostly because sometimes we just would like him to sit still.)

So, no TV is a pretty big deal to Will on a Saturday. (I think it was a pretty big deal to Scott too, I think I heard him groan when I announced the punishment.)

Anyway, the slamming stopped and I went back downstairs to resume updating the baby books. Not long after, Will came down the stairs and went into the basement. Then he collected his colored pencils and paints and went back to his room.

A few minutes later, he came down with a beautiful picture he painted for me. He asked if I'd help him paint one for his Daddy too.

We had a really nice time and it seemed we were on the right track until an hour or so later when Scott came downstairs. I told him, "Will's not going to watch TV today."

Will looks at me with saucer-eyes and says, "WHAT?!?"

"Remember when you weren't listening and slammed the door?"

"Yeah," he says, pointing to the painting he made for me. "I thought you were going to let that go ..."