On Monday L took a 3 lb bag of apples into his room and bit around the center of each apple (7). He also stole 2 bags of cheezits and an ice pop and ate them in his room. The TV is now gone from the room and the bean bag. I was so exhausted from his behavior that I took a nap after dinner. When I woke up he had cut off his bangs. I calmly said it was time for a haircut. I laid him down on the carpet and shaved it all off. I gave him the last lolipop, which is the standard reward for haircuts. I know it will be a long time before he needs another one.
The upside is that I woke up to his need for more attention. We started doing daily school again. I also painted the Avatar symbol on his head for a photo. He agreed because I told him he could wash it off as soon as he wanted. He wanted it off as soon as the picture was taken. His siblings protested but I reminded them of the deal. It's important to keep our word and to let children know they can hold us to it.
