Me, gardening. Oldest, behaving. Youngest, ran across the street to talk to neighbors without permission. He's three, just about four.
Had a talk, a firm and severe talk. Finished talking to landlord about the compost bin and where it goes. Got kids and dog inside, left door open. Brought bin from back of the house around to front, came inside to unwind.
Youngest isn't there.
Frantically rush around the house trying to see if he's hiding. He's not, run outside, find him running across the street to talk to neighbor children again.
Run after him. Tell him he's lost privileges for tomorrow, computer games, no screen time, no outside time. Come inside and send him into his room because I'm so freaked out and scared. He's in his room, I'll be asking him to come out in a few minutes.
I think that instead of taking away privileges tomorrow, I'll be tomato staking him. I have too much to do outside to not let him out. Screens have nothing to do with street safety.
How's this?
1) Going to library for street safety videos.
2) He is actually tied to me outside so I can look down without being afraid that he'll run off. 10 feet of heavy duty kite string, belt loop to belt loop. It won't be fun for me either, but he won't be smushed under a car this way.
Logical? How else can do anything in the yard without tying him to me? We have no fence, can't have one, renters.
Had a talk, a firm and severe talk. Finished talking to landlord about the compost bin and where it goes. Got kids and dog inside, left door open. Brought bin from back of the house around to front, came inside to unwind.
Youngest isn't there.
Frantically rush around the house trying to see if he's hiding. He's not, run outside, find him running across the street to talk to neighbor children again.
Run after him. Tell him he's lost privileges for tomorrow, computer games, no screen time, no outside time. Come inside and send him into his room because I'm so freaked out and scared. He's in his room, I'll be asking him to come out in a few minutes.
I think that instead of taking away privileges tomorrow, I'll be tomato staking him. I have too much to do outside to not let him out. Screens have nothing to do with street safety.
How's this?
1) Going to library for street safety videos.
2) He is actually tied to me outside so I can look down without being afraid that he'll run off. 10 feet of heavy duty kite string, belt loop to belt loop. It won't be fun for me either, but he won't be smushed under a car this way.
Logical? How else can do anything in the yard without tying him to me? We have no fence, can't have one, renters.
.
) would be great for helping DD enjoy her time on the 'stake', but would not be enough for me to be able to turn my head and work. She's too unpredictable I'm not sure even the roadkill would make a lasting enough impression to get her to thinking about the road danger each and every time. For her at her age I think it's "dart first, think later."
