THE MORTON FAMILY NEWSLETTER
by Tonya Morton on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 4:01pm
What’s Inside: Thursday, June 30, 2011
Meals and Snacks
Behavior and Discipline
Chores
Our Family Activities
Visitation and Transportation
meals and snacks
We have set meal times depending on whether or not school is in session. All meals and snacks provided are nutritious and well rounded. Except for special occasions, please do not send over any food, drinks, or candy, unless it is intended to share with each sibling in our home.
MEAL TIMES
Breakfast 8:00 a.m.
Lunch 12:00p.m.
Snack 3:30p.m
Dinner 7:00pm
Bedtime snack 9:30pm
These times are approximate
All meals are nutritious and are served according to nutritional guidelines. Our children are never expected to clean their plate, but are asked to try everything just once. We never force our children to finish what is on their plate, but we do encourage each child to try one or two bites of everything. Sometimes they are surprised by what they like!
If your child is not here at these times, please be sure that they have eaten, especially after dinner time. Please allow your child time to finish all uneaten snacks prior to arriving inside our home. You can imagine the chaos it might cause among 5 or more children! If he/she wishes to bring an occasional treat, please call us to verify quantity and approved foods. We practice manners at our home. We use thank you, please, your welcome and many more!
All of our children join us at the dinner table to learn proper seating and table manners. Our children will help set tables and prepare the table and meals when possible. Our children will also help unset the table and clean up afterwards. Menus are posted on the bulletin board monthly.
Behavior and Discipline
We use strategies that allow our children to take responsibility for his/her actions. Each child will be dealt with individually. Consequences will occur immediately after the behavior.
In addition, we focus on teaching our children appropriate behavior by using positive reinforcement. We do not use bribes; however, we do use Time Out when we feel the child needs a break away from the family. We focus on teaching our children how to interact socially and continually reinforce the limits in our home.
Our children will receive positive behavior incentives such as, treats, sleepovers, recreation, friends, games, bike rides, etc. They will also be recognized for their “Acts of Kindness”, “Appreciation”, “Selflessness”, “Manner”, etc.
Our children are given 4 chances a day:
Toshanae: Positive Behavior/Respect Award
Tevin: Team Player/Big Brother Award
Anayah: Helper/Positive Behavior Award
CHORES:
Chores are part of the family and rewards are not to be expected.
We give our children chores to help foster responsibility and a sense of involvement and self-worth. Chores are handled as necessary contributions to the family. Our children are not rewarded for doing chores that are part of our family business.
Kids don't need and don't deserve a quarter, for example, every time they take out the trash. After all, what lesson does that teach them?
If the dishes were never washed, what would ultimately happen? Chores may not be traditional "fun," but they create a sense of "family" as well as helping our children to learn that keeping a household running involves effort and teamwork.
We have established quality standards so that our kids don't just do "minimum effort" and develop the attitude of a slack job being good enough. These quality standards are coupled with consequences, which is the next point. If someone fails to do a job, it either doesn't get done and affects everyone else, or it can cause a disruption or concern in our household.
Most likely one or more of our kids will spend more time trying to argue about it than it would have to have simply done the chore; But we have set expectations, and there is really nothing more to discuss.
Our chore chart has been set for two years now, so our children know the routine. This has been very effective. They are always recognized for their chore contribution.
Our family activities:
We expect all are children to accompany us if it is their Dad’s weekend. However, we try to avoid drama, so if a child insists on not going they will be expected to contact their mother for pickup before we leave. We will not break our plans or change our times for no one!
“You ain’t on time, You ain’t on time”!
Quoted By: Theo Morton
We are family oriented, so we try to keep in touch with both sides of our family. So, every other weekend we leave Kalamazoo on Friday to visit family in Benton Harbor.
As a family we participate in a number of different activities. We are basketball and football fanatics! Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting at 7:30pm we are involved with the Youth Basketball League (YBL) at Lincoln Elementary. All our children go to practice with their Daddy (Coach Theo) these two nights a week and of course Mama T and Zari are there to cheer them on. Coach Theo’s Football schedule is TBA.
All our children are in involved in a “Summer School Program”. We believe that education is not about preparing for a test, a grade, or a position. We are learners because it gives our lives meaning and purpose. Therefore, while in our home it is not an option to simply be in the streets, possibly being influenced by the negative neighborhoods and people. Although it is summer, we still get up with our children at 7:30am, Monday through Thursday to see them off to school. When they return after school they are involved in extracurricular activities in the community, or at home with the family.
Visitation/Transportation
If a child has an extracurricular activity after school on one of their school days they are expected to catch the bus back to their mother’s. Other days: (Tues. Wed. Fri.) children are expected to catch the school bus back to our home if they wish to visit.
When the school bus is unavailable, we can meet half way at the beginning and end of the time, at a reasonable time (before dinner). These guidelines will be enforced in order to eliminate disruption in our household at night when trying to prepare our little ones for bed.
Otherwise , children will be expected to arrive the following day, or stay until the end of their parenting time, returning back to their mother’s by school bus the following Monday. This saves on gas mileage! Plus, there is no longer a debate of who will provide transportation.
Meals and Snacks
Behavior and Discipline
Chores
Our Family Activities
Visitation and Transportation
meals and snacks
We have set meal times depending on whether or not school is in session. All meals and snacks provided are nutritious and well rounded. Except for special occasions, please do not send over any food, drinks, or candy, unless it is intended to share with each sibling in our home.
MEAL TIMES
Breakfast 8:00 a.m.
Lunch 12:00p.m.
Snack 3:30p.m
Dinner 7:00pm
Bedtime snack 9:30pm
These times are approximate
All meals are nutritious and are served according to nutritional guidelines. Our children are never expected to clean their plate, but are asked to try everything just once. We never force our children to finish what is on their plate, but we do encourage each child to try one or two bites of everything. Sometimes they are surprised by what they like!
If your child is not here at these times, please be sure that they have eaten, especially after dinner time. Please allow your child time to finish all uneaten snacks prior to arriving inside our home. You can imagine the chaos it might cause among 5 or more children! If he/she wishes to bring an occasional treat, please call us to verify quantity and approved foods. We practice manners at our home. We use thank you, please, your welcome and many more!
All of our children join us at the dinner table to learn proper seating and table manners. Our children will help set tables and prepare the table and meals when possible. Our children will also help unset the table and clean up afterwards. Menus are posted on the bulletin board monthly.
Behavior and Discipline
We use strategies that allow our children to take responsibility for his/her actions. Each child will be dealt with individually. Consequences will occur immediately after the behavior.
In addition, we focus on teaching our children appropriate behavior by using positive reinforcement. We do not use bribes; however, we do use Time Out when we feel the child needs a break away from the family. We focus on teaching our children how to interact socially and continually reinforce the limits in our home.
Our children will receive positive behavior incentives such as, treats, sleepovers, recreation, friends, games, bike rides, etc. They will also be recognized for their “Acts of Kindness”, “Appreciation”, “Selflessness”, “Manner”, etc.
Our children are given 4 chances a day:
- The first time the child is called down for misbehavior (including defiance, disrespect); he/she will be given a verbal warning.
- The second time the child will be placed in "Time Out,”
- The third time the child will be sent to take a nap.
- The fourth time will result in a consequence from the “Consequence Jar”
Toshanae: Positive Behavior/Respect Award
Tevin: Team Player/Big Brother Award
Anayah: Helper/Positive Behavior Award
CHORES:
Chores are part of the family and rewards are not to be expected.
We give our children chores to help foster responsibility and a sense of involvement and self-worth. Chores are handled as necessary contributions to the family. Our children are not rewarded for doing chores that are part of our family business.
Kids don't need and don't deserve a quarter, for example, every time they take out the trash. After all, what lesson does that teach them?
If the dishes were never washed, what would ultimately happen? Chores may not be traditional "fun," but they create a sense of "family" as well as helping our children to learn that keeping a household running involves effort and teamwork.
We have established quality standards so that our kids don't just do "minimum effort" and develop the attitude of a slack job being good enough. These quality standards are coupled with consequences, which is the next point. If someone fails to do a job, it either doesn't get done and affects everyone else, or it can cause a disruption or concern in our household.
Most likely one or more of our kids will spend more time trying to argue about it than it would have to have simply done the chore; But we have set expectations, and there is really nothing more to discuss.
Our chore chart has been set for two years now, so our children know the routine. This has been very effective. They are always recognized for their chore contribution.
Our family activities:
We expect all are children to accompany us if it is their Dad’s weekend. However, we try to avoid drama, so if a child insists on not going they will be expected to contact their mother for pickup before we leave. We will not break our plans or change our times for no one!
“You ain’t on time, You ain’t on time”!
Quoted By: Theo Morton
We are family oriented, so we try to keep in touch with both sides of our family. So, every other weekend we leave Kalamazoo on Friday to visit family in Benton Harbor.
As a family we participate in a number of different activities. We are basketball and football fanatics! Tuesdays and Wednesdays starting at 7:30pm we are involved with the Youth Basketball League (YBL) at Lincoln Elementary. All our children go to practice with their Daddy (Coach Theo) these two nights a week and of course Mama T and Zari are there to cheer them on. Coach Theo’s Football schedule is TBA.
All our children are in involved in a “Summer School Program”. We believe that education is not about preparing for a test, a grade, or a position. We are learners because it gives our lives meaning and purpose. Therefore, while in our home it is not an option to simply be in the streets, possibly being influenced by the negative neighborhoods and people. Although it is summer, we still get up with our children at 7:30am, Monday through Thursday to see them off to school. When they return after school they are involved in extracurricular activities in the community, or at home with the family.
Visitation/Transportation
If a child has an extracurricular activity after school on one of their school days they are expected to catch the bus back to their mother’s. Other days: (Tues. Wed. Fri.) children are expected to catch the school bus back to our home if they wish to visit.
When the school bus is unavailable, we can meet half way at the beginning and end of the time, at a reasonable time (before dinner). These guidelines will be enforced in order to eliminate disruption in our household at night when trying to prepare our little ones for bed.
Otherwise , children will be expected to arrive the following day, or stay until the end of their parenting time, returning back to their mother’s by school bus the following Monday. This saves on gas mileage! Plus, there is no longer a debate of who will provide transportation.
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