International Phone Calls Day 2

Well, at least Y hasn't tried to make any international phone calls today.  He also knows what he did was wrong, but he thinks he can just charm his way out of it (way too much like my husband not to share DNA).  While I was talking to my mother this afternoon, Y overheard part of the conversation.  He asked if I was telling Babushka about last night.  I said yes, and told him that Babushka did not like him making calls to Ukraine either.  He smiled, giggled and tried to pour on the charm.  No, Mama, I won't do it again!  Right, like I believe that one.

Bill and I discussed it last night and Bill thinks we should come up with a chore chart for him where he can earn an allowance.  He can then use this allowance to buy an international calling card or time on our Skype phone.  I prefer the Skype phone because then I can more closely monitor the times of day/days of week that he makes the calls.  I think we should open a savings account for him to put his allowance money in.  That way he can decide if the new MP3 player is more important to him than calling overseas.

I want to also make up a chart for demerits, but Bill doesn't like that idea.  I say, if you get rewarded for doing things you should do, then you also need to get disciplined for things you shouldn't do.  I don't think all discipline has to be money deducted from his savings/allowance account.  It could be no TV for one day or no phone privileges for three days or a week's moratorium on earning an allowance - you still have to do your chores, but you don't get the cash credited to your account at the end of the week/month, etc.  I also think we should sometimes give him a choice as to what his discipline is:  three days without TV or $5 deducted from you allowance?  And, if he is caught watching TV during those three days, then he gets one extra day added to the no TV rule and the $5 gets deducted from his allowance.  Double whammy.

Then, we all sign it.  That way we can say, "Hey, we're not being the bad guys here - the contract is!  You signed it, you have to live by it."

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated from those who've been there, done that and even those who haven't.

Natalie

TX