One down!

Today was the first of Toby's three field trips. I did not mention anything about the trip or lunch-making over the past few days. Last night he asked me for a paper bag to use for his lunch! When I saw him getting out the plastic containers he usually uses, I asked curiously, "Why do you think they wanted you to use a paper bag?" He said, "So we can throw everything away after lunch." Then he looked at what he was doing, put the containers away, and got out ziplock bags.

At bedtime I did say something about how he might try to find out in the morning if the teacher wanted him to put his name on the bag. He said he already did that. I said, "You really planned ahead!"

I think I accidentally discovered a strategy that might eventually help Toby get motivated to notice things he is supposed to do. Yesterday while I was taking a bath, he asked to use my phone for his game. I told him to go over his checklist and screentime P&R, then come back when everything was done. He did, and he set his timer and started playing. When I was out of the tub, I discovered a bunch of things that hadn't been done. I interrupted his game and told him I thought he had a few more things to take care of. As the timer ticked away, we went through a mildly excruciating "what do you think you were supposed to do?' and "let's go over your list, what does that mean?" and "hmm, I think I noticed some socks on the couch and some clothes on the bedroom floor, and oh, that washcloth you threw on the floor in the corner of the bathroom." Boy, did he hop to it! It's really the same as denying screen time until everything is done, but he feels it so much more as the minutes evaporate - the timer ticks audibly, that's critical. So this morning we went through basically the same thing, but it required me biting my tongue when he asked to use the computer, rather then giving him a list of things to do first. I am hoping this makes a lasting impression.

He used the computer to find and print dolphin photos for his diorama. It is done, basically a box with three dolphin pictures glued in. The instructions said you could make coral, seaweed, bubbles, etc - but he says dolphins swim in the middle of the ocean where there isn't any of that stuff. Smarty pants. So, about as basic as you can get, but done and totally on his own initiative.