Friday, January 20, 2006

Computer Whores

My boys live to play on the computer, so much so that they ask incessantly until they are given permission. I have long realized the carrot value of this privilege. They can easily lose the privilege for bad behavior, which my youngest frequently does. I can also get them to perform chores- whether it be homework, piano practice or getting ready for bed - before they get a shot at their favorite "eye candy", cartoon network games.

But this week a light went on and I had a brilliant idea; Add some real chores. It's working like a charm so far. My oldest has been cleaning the bathroom sink, unloading the dishwasher, etc. My youngest has yet to lift a finger. He's been suspended from the computer since I started this.

Next week I'm adding a new chore- cleaning the toilet. The honeymoon could be over soon.

7 comments:

Amy Rio-Anderson/Running Rio said...

Chores are great. Sonny Boy has to clean the toilets every Sat morning. He can't believe how dirty they are and I tell him that he and his dad are to thank for that! Both the kids are doing some chores quite often - helps them be responsible adults one day! And my kids will not get to college one day unable to do basic things (like so many!)

About the movie - maybe the booming surround sound was better at the new theater I went to - but I understood Ennis just fine. And how could that movie not live up to the hype? Were they only expecting a bunch of gay sex scenes? I thought the movie was so much more than I expected. I thought I would like it - not love it and think about it all the time. Would love to know why they thought it didn't live up to the hype.

Edgy Mama said...

I'm using the new Gameboy for the same purpose. Wish it worked with my spouse.

ash said...

rio, hype is hard to live up to. and the movie did. live up to the hype. but Ennis was hard as hell to understand. it was heath doing his best Slingblade impression. but it was all good in the end.

loving the blog, restless mama. keep the posts coming!

restless said...

Rio
Not sure why they didn't think it lived up to the hype. There were six girls who went to see it together. Only one of them i know well, so i just listened - uncharacteristic for me i know - but i think it took me a while to process the movie. One said it was slow in parts but really i didn't hear anything more specific. After digesting it, i realized what an amazing movie it was.
Ash - thanks for visiting and commenting. I love the support.

restless said...

Oh and EM
You know what motivates the spouses to do chores - it's not video privileges but bedroom privileges.

Amy Rio-Anderson/Running Rio said...

You really think bedroom privileges work to get chores done? What kind of man did you marry?!

restless said...

Rio
It's actually the other way around. If spouse gets chores done then he gets bedroom priviledges. Of course this rule is not written or spoken;it's implied. Although sometimes i do say "Honey, i think vacuuming is sooo sexy".