When I picked up the girls from school today, they immediately started griping about various things that happened during the day. Is it too much to ask for a polite "Hello Mommy"?
So we tried the pick up a second time.
After leaving the school, I turned onto the nearest street, pulled over told them to get out of the car and close the door. They stood on the sidewalk while I explained that when I pick them up, I expect them to greet me politely and that I would love to listen to them tell me about their day. But all must be done in a respectful tone... no griping or whining. Once they had agreed to my expectations, I told them they could get back into the car.
When Kirsten opened the door, I said, "Hi Kirsten. How was your day?" I said the same to Katelyn. They buckled in and the rest of the drive home was quite pleasant.
I remember my mom doing this sometimes. If we whined, she sent us out of the room and instructed us to come back and ask again. It worked!
.JPG)
