Give me strength

I've been having a fun time with Daniel lately. He's a little smart mouth. He responds to getting in trouble with a grin and some kind of comment that only he thinks is funny. Sometimes he says it under his breath, but loud enough to be heard. The kid is not afraid of the punishments enough.

So today, when I was getting after him for hurting Leah, he didn't seem in the least bit sorry. That was irritating so I warned him that if he didn't start taking it seriously enough, he would be grounded. That must have amused him because he laughed. Inside I was choking the life out of him. Outside, I told him he was grounded and wouldn't be able to help with the fence today. Immediately, that ugly little smile left his face and he stormed up the stairs.

I told him he could earn his freedom back if he wrote me a paper based on the points I provided him - about his rudeness. He didn't seem to get the seriousness of it the first time. This was the first paper I got.


He was smiling as he handed it over. I pointed out to him that he didn't get grounded for what he did to Leah. It was his behavior afterward that convicted him.

I told him to rewrite it. Then he said he couldn't because the paper with the things he was supposed to cover in his paper was ripped up. I rewrote the paper, added one more point, and gave it back to him.

This was the second attempt...not really acceptable, but I figured I'd gotten my point across. I warned him that next time I wanted a WHOLE paper, not one cut off in the middle.

He ended up ripping up the 2nd paper I wrote for him, as well as scattering some laundry, and emptying some of the garbage can onto the floor. I'm still thinking of making him sweep up the flour that resulted, but I don't know if I can bear the trauma just yet.

Was this included in the motherhood contract when I signed up? I hope it was because there would have had to be a happy ending to get me to agree. Or a REALLY big reward.