Hearth and Homemaker

Works For Me Wednesday...um, I Mean Sunday!

Like many bloggers out there, I love the Works for Me Wednesday posts done through Rocks in My Dryer.  But you should be aware that my "Works for Me" posts will most likely NOT be on Wednesdays.  Why?  Well, I'm a very busy lady.  With five little ones under foot, I may not always remember...oh, who am I kidding.  I'm just plain forgetful!

So my posts might be more like "Works for Me Tuesday" or "Works for Me Thursday"...or even, like today, "Works for Me Sunday".  Not as catchy, but honest!

My tip for this week (or is it for last week?!) is a tip I left as a comment on someone's blog, regarding potty training.  In my experience (training three children so far) for some children, nothing will really work until they are at least open to the idea.  I normally do NOT bribe my children to do things...I expect them to do as they are told.  Not that they always do it!  But that is the expectation, or there will be repercussions. 

But potty training is different.  We'll do just about anything to cut down or eliminate the number of poopy messes that we have to change, won't we girls?  So most of us resort to bribes.  I've found that I can bribe my children with the most coveted of rewards...money, candy, stickers, toys, you name it, but if they're not ready, they'll just whine for the reward but refuse to do their duty...or doodies.   ;-) 

What I do is take a break for a while from the begging, pleading, cajoling, and bribery, and try again in a few weeks.  Then I try a bribe I haven't used in a while.  Once they're open to it, you're bound to hit on something they want.  For two of my children, this was pennies in a piggy bank.  I bought a plastic red piggy bank in the Kmart dollar section, and placed it on top of the toilet tank.  It's unbreakable, so no big deal if it falls off.  (The piggy pictured is ceramic, unlike the plastic piggies I purchased.)  You may rethink the placement of it if your kids are "toilet dunkers".)  Then I kept pennies up high in the medicine cabinet where they couldn't be gotten at, and would dole out one penny for a pee, and two pennies for a poop. 

The excitement of being able to put the money in, shake the piggy, and peek inside the hole was enough to send them running to the bathroom at the first sign of a full bladder.  At least, that's how it Works for Me!

Welcome to My Home!

Come on in and sit a spell.  There's a cozy little rocker over by the fire.  Would you like a cup of mulled cider?  How about some warm, chocolatey homemade cocoa?  Please, make yourself at home!

This is my own little corner of the blogosphere, where I spend my time relaxing and thinking up new ways to create a cozy home for my dear husband and many little ones.  The many topics on my mind are home organization, cooking nutritious meals, sewing, homeschooling, and ways to show my family that I love them very much!

So sit back, relax, and ponder with me on these and many other thoughts and ideas.  Welcome, friend.