I employ a "fly by the seat of my pants" methodology when it comes to disciplining my children. And David is as lost as I am in this regard. We often confer right in front of our misbehaving children, what do you think we should do?...I dunno, what do you think? Sounds effective, huh? I'm not advocating this style, nor am I saying I'm at all convinced it's working for me...I'm just callin' a spade a spade, I stink at the discipline stuff. I don't like to come up with appropriate punishments for the various crimes of childhood, and I don't like to follow through. I just don't like it. But who does, right?

I'll even be honest enough to admit that often the consequence of a misdeed, the punishment for the crime, is relative to my state of mind. Sad, I know. Not the model of consistency I'd planned on. Well-rested Mommy may meet an offense with loving but firm guidance and correction. Wits-end Mommy, (for instance, on evening 4 of Daddy being out of town), may meet the ungrateful attitude of a 6 year old with a DVD about the persecution of Christians and genocide in the Sudan.

I know, I know...I should probably write a how-to book. How To Guarantee Your Child Will Need Therapy