What a Kid! Wednesday ~ Eli

This week I have to stay away from any teenager topics. What, or who, overtakes the minds and bodies of our teenagers? I know I must have been like this, but wow. Complicated!

So, this week I just need to focus on the simplicity of Eli.

He has his own complications. But, he is just so simple .. so routine .. so predictable. I need that kind of predictability in my days when the other three kids (and especially my teenagers) are all over the map.

He is doing so good in school. I literally tear up at the progress he is making! He is so well-behaved and is improving every week! Yesterday his computer teacher approached me and asked me if I knew Eli (I had him at the book fair picking out his books). I told her he was my son. She just beamed and gushed about how sweet he is and what a whiz he is at the computer! She said she always gets hugs from him. That feels so good to hear positive things about your children!

His kindergarten teacher has a discipline procedure. She has a piggy bank for each child, and they start the day with 5 plastic pennies. If they have a behavior issue, they lose a penny. If at the end of the day they haven't completed their work, they lose a penny. At the end of the week their "pay" is added up and on Monday they get to spend their money at the market. The best items are, of course, the most expensive!

This system didn't really work for Eli. He isn't a behavior problem so never lost pennies for that. But, most days he was not getting his school work completed so would lose one penny. He might only complete one assignment all day, bringing home 3 or 4 for us to do at home. But, he was only losing one penny. So, it didn't affect him much! He's say, "That's still okay."

So, his teacher agreed to change his procedure where he earns a penny every time he completes an assignment. This works like a charm! The only problem is that he started to really stress about it. If the day was winding down and he only had three pennies, but still time to complete his assignments, he would start to panic and then spin his wheels not getting his work done.

His daddy told him on Friday that 5 pennies is great, 4 is still good, 3 is okay, but that 2 and 1 are bad. He still strives for 5, but now doesn't feel so stressed if he only pulls out 4.

I am so thankful for his boundary and "steps" oriented personality. He is so easy to coax along and discipline. Everything to him is black and white. It's either right or wrong, in this particular order or to happen on this particular day.

Predictable.

Thank you, Father, for giving me one child like that.

My simple Eli ~ What a Kid!