Day 3: The Challenge

I have learned about myself today that I am a stress-eater.  I think I've known for quite a while, but it became painfully obvious with that bowl of ice cream when I was so full I thought I was going to burst.

Memory for today: I told Gavin he had to finish his homework before baseball practice.  When he realized that practice had already started, it turned into tantrum of the century.  Wow!  I have to say, though, I held it together amazingly well.  I never lost patience, I didn't let myself get angry and retort, but let him work through it keeping my cool.  At one point, I sent him to his room.  A while later, the doorbell rang, and the neighbor that I don't know asked if we were missing one.  Gavin had climbed out his bedroom window and was walking across the field.  Brilliant.  The highlight of all of this is that one of the signs at the end of the road comes out, so I got to drive my van across the field.  That was kind of fun.  He was sitting down by a post at the other end, got into the car without a word, drove home without a word, and then the only bit of lost patience reared its ugly head.  I turned to him and calmly said that he could never do that again or he wouldn't like the consequences.

I need a discipline idea for him.  I want something that helps him understand that he must respect authority.  He can dissent or disagree, but he must do so respectfully. He cannot yell at me, and he cannot talk back to me.  I can think of lots of punishments, but nothing that really helps him to learn this lesson.  Maybe having him practice listening and responding, but I'm unsure of what the consequence for not listening could be.  Food for thought!  I'm open for suggestions.

Through all of this, I did see that I am growing immensely.  Just the fact that I never yelled is a testament to that.  An area to continue to grow: find an alternative to stress eating!  I have a poor enough body image as it is without feeling guilty for binging because I'm tense.  I need an active alternative.  Praying seems a good idea, and one that would help me pursue my goals, but doesn't seem active enough.  Or maybe, it doesn't seem fulfilling.  At least with eating, I feel the results immediately.  Prayers about that...Good night, all.