Consequences Pyramid Update - How's it working?

I did a post not long ago about a disciplining technique called the Consequences Pyramid that we've been implementing in our home. We've been using it for about a month now and I thought I'd do a follow up post.

This has been the best thing for our family! The most important thing I've noticed happening is the bad behavior becomes his problem, not mine. He is no longer mad at me when I implement a consequence. He's gets mad at himself instead. He knows he screwed up. I'm very clear about what things will move him up a "code". When he's having a hard time with his attitude, I offer to pray for him to help him "turn it around". The results are amazing! He is seeing the power of the Holy Spirit in his life. He knows he can't "be good" on his own.
I'm getting my energy back! I'm no longer drained at the end of the day because I've been trying to think of fair consequences and struggling to being consistent. The Consequences Pyramid is helping me be consistent by taking the guess work out of being fair. I know it is fair and the best part is that Josiah knows its fair. It also keeps my husband and I on the same page because we know where Josiah is on the pyramid and what is next. We all know what to expect. That's the beauty of it! This is especially good for families where Dad is gone a lot. He can step back in the disciplining ring after a long absence and it isn't going to cause unnecessary friction. As a military wife, I know about this one!

While bad behavior still happens, it is few and far between. I rarely spank now. When we started this, I figured he would hit "Code Red" (bed after dinner) several times, but so far it has only happened once. Homeschooling is going so much faster, too. We rarely have a day where he even gets to Code Yellow (loss of all electronics for that day). He's catching himself more and more when he's behaving badly. Thanks to the Consequences Pyramid, he's motivated to change!

My sister, Stacie, is having similar results with her children. Because she is disciplining so many children at once, we decided to make magnets with all the kid's names on them to help keep track of who was on which code. We found some clear acrylic "stones" at the craft store. Using a clear drying glue, we glued their names to the back of the acrylic stones. Then we glued a magnet to the back. Now, if it is time to move up a code, the kids can do it themselves. We went ahead and made name magnets for all the kids, even the young ones, who will eventually be using this system.

If you are experiencing the same frustrations with repeated bad behavior and finding yourself drained of energy, I would encourage you to try this incredibly easy system. Tailor it to what "speaks" to your kids. I feel like this has been a gift from God and I want to tell everyone about it!

God Bless,
Jackie

Update: I've changed my codes around a little. I decided to take "Break" off as a code and reserve it for when my child is unable to control himself emotionally (sometimes I'll use this in between codes). Instead our
Our Consequences Pyramid now looks like this:

Code Red: Immediately to Bed (only comes out for meals)
Code Orange: Bedtime 7:00pm
Code Yellow: 1 Hour Rest Time
Code Green: No Snack
Code Blue: No Electronics

You start at the bottom of the pyramid and work your way up. You can tailor these codes to be anything that "speaks" to your child. You could even have a different pyramid for each child if needed.