Day 240.

A facebook friend gave me a good suggestion for backtalk yesterday, so I tried it out.

I am grateful for facebook advice.

Dylan and Noah were playing together when Noah did something she didn't like, so she yelled at him. I told her, "Dylan, he wants to read books right now."

"I'm talking to NOAH!" she snapped at me.

Wow. Time to try it.

I told her calmly, "That kind of talk is unacceptable in this house. Come with me." I walked her to the back door (where we have our own porch - which has a private lock on it - no one call Child Services on me) and told her to go outside. I shut the door, and she whined back dramatically, "Are you going to leave me out here FOREVER?"

"No, not forever. For two minutes. That talk is unacceptable in this house." Still calm.

And that was it. After two minutes (and me standing two feet away from the door watching her the whole time), I went and got her, and she was standing calmly looking over the edge of the railing. It was done, and the point had been made. I love it.