Bunny Scout

We have four basic rules in our house.  I apply them everywhere in my life and the girls:

1.  Everybody plays, or nobody plays.
2.  You get what you get and you don't throw a fit.
3.  Treat other people the way they want to be treated.
4.  If you mess it up, you clean it up.

Lately, our house has become consumed with pre and post nap whining and a complete disregard for the above mentioned rules.  Blame on schedule changes or long summer days or burned out Mommies!

I have been trying to handle this with the typical and even stereotypical methods - time out, revoking of privileges, etc.  Long story short, fighting fire with fire was only making the fire stronger and worse, contagious.  I was finding myself whining to anyone who would listen about the demon spawn.

I had an idea . . .

 For the last year or so, E has been asking to be a "bunny scout", the max and ruby version of Girl Scouts.

So, we played bunny scouts all weekend and the girls got a chance to earn badges (buttons).  We started out with a "camp out" in the living room complete with s'mores and a fire in the middle of July.

Instead of pointing out all of the negative behavior, I pointed out all of the things they did that could earn them badges and made a point to recognize their good behavior.

Tonight at bedtime, but the light of the reading lamp before story time, they got their badges.  We had a little ceremony and talked about how much more fun it was to share.  E also told me how nice it was that I "didn't yell at her all day."  Lesson learned on all around!  Now if I could only learn how to sew a sash to put the buttons on.

E got a "Bee Happy" Badge for trying to be happy.
O got the flower badge for being so sweet.
E and O got the hand badge for sharing.