Re-evaluation

Wow. Doing some reassessing of the parenting tactics going on in this house this evening. Several posts ago I gushed on and on about how good my kids are. And for the most part they are and I still say that. However over the past few weeks and now minutes I have been thinking that our approach--or lack there of--is well...lacking. See in my mind it's pretty important to me that the kids be kids and that we don't force their little personalities out of them by strict punishments and rules. And for the most part they haven't taken advantage of this--or hadn't. I mean they never get in trouble at school. And when they go to other people's houses they are polite and follow directions--good deal seems we are on track. Except at home. At home it's gotten a little "Lord of the Flies" around here. We don't have a whole lot of set rules and we don't usually follow thru with punishments---I know I KNOW. But seriously we just haven't had to--a not so pleased look, a raised voice and that's been sufficient--or we have let it be. But recently it's occurred to me that it's not really sufficient. They are getting a bit out of control. When I heard Robert say to Jakeb, "I have told you 15 times to stop...." it was like a smack in the head to me. Why in the world are we saying that--because 15 times is so not a stretch...we really tell them 15 times and then totally loose it, they stop, and repeat doing it 20 min later when we aren't around. That my friends would be a non-approach approach. A non-effective way to get the message across. I do not feel like we should supervise their play 24/7, I cannot hover over my 8 year old all day to make sure he doesn't jump on the couch--because he should just know that's not ok and if he does do this--he will get punished. Instead he does this and gets a stern "Jakeb you know better....I have told you 95453434 times...." and does it again an hour later. This is not working. Now the other side of me says "Wellll yeah but he's a kid that's what kids do, it could be worse...." Hold up no. It will be worse if we don't get our shit together and put the smack down on these heathens. And the final straw was broken this evening it has gotten worse. It's game time on the parenting front.