1-2-3 Magic

This is a book that was recommended to me by a couple different people. It is about a parenting technique that is surprisingly easy yet VERY effective! It is enjoyable to read which always helps! Any ways, We started using the 1-2-3 Magic with the kids about three weeks ago and we are now enjoying each other more and things are a little quieter with less screaming and yelling going on! The girls responded very quickly and Jaco in the last three days has made a dramatic improvement. Our mornings together are so much better and the kids are more independent in getting ready for school.

So what is 1-2-3 Magic? Here is the short version. 1-2-3 Magic is little talking, little emotion, and a lot of accountability for the kids. Lets say La-La is whining right before dinner because she wants a granola bar because she is STARVING! I tell her no and explain to her why I said no. She continues to beg/whine so I say "La-La, that's one" Then I don't say anything or show any emotion (this is the hardest part!). If she continues to whine I say "La-La, that's two." If she stops, we are all good. But, if it continues, I say "La-La, that's 3 take 6" (because she is 6 years old). La-La then has to go to her room for six minutes but she is allowed to play, read, rest or do whatever she wants in her room except anything electronic. Then when the 6 minutes is up, she is allowed out and here is the most important part. I let her out and don't say anything about why she was in there. It is over, done, finished. Another big part of the 1-2-3 Magic is getting kids to do their chores. One thing they suggest is you do the chores for them with a smile on your face. You are smiling because they have to pay you for doing their chore! So lets say I ask Jaco to clear the table and tell him he has until 7 to have it done. He chooses to play outside instead so at 7 I clear the table for him but he has to give me $.25 from his allowance.
As I said, the girls responded beautifully to the counting. I rarely have to put them in "time-out" because once I say "that's 2" they stop the bad behavior. Jaco has been a bit more stubborn about it and it kills him to not be able to argue with us because if he does, he is counted and has to go to his room. He finally seems to be getting it and we have had 3 great days with him! Not perfect by any means but sooo much better! I am excited to have found something so simple that really works! I was able to buy the book on Amazon for under $10. The author also wrote a kids version of the book to help teach your kids about 1-2-3 Magic and how it works. I bought this one also and it was great. It is illustrated and written like a story book so it is really easy for the kids to understand.
I highly recommend this book for any parent. If you had seen our mornings 3 weeks ago and then seen the last three mornings you would run to the nearest bookstore to get a copy! I know parenting is an ongoing ever changing process so I know we will still have rough days but I am just so excited that this really is helping our family be happier!