VINEGAR

Last night, we decided to try a new idea Pineapple Princess gave us--VINEGAR! The idea is that when the kids are having a sour attitude, they get a sour taste in their mouths. Well, Jacob has a problem with yelling and talking back to us, so Daddy decided to give the vinegar a try. He gave Jacob a tiny bit, and he didn't even seem phased by it. He simply took it and then said, "OK, Jessica's turn!" Jessica wasn't quite so thrilled with the idea of having a turn, but Daddy was convinced she should see what it tasted like, forgetting that he had already let her try it once before. Well, she hadn't forgotten, and she didn't want it because she remembered she didn't like it. She made a sour face when she had it--more the response we'd expected from Jacob. So Daddy decided maybe he hadn't given Jacob enough, even though Jessica had less than Jacob did. So he gave Jacob more, and this time we got the sour face we'd expected from him. I guess Jacob has more of Daddy's taste buds, and Jessie has more of Mommy's. If we want this punishment to work, we'll have to make sure we give him enough to actually make a difference. A little bit of vinegar goes a long way for some but does nothing for others.