I have horrible habits that need changing...

5.23.09
Something else that might be a good routine to establish- create a menu for the week. At first, maybe my HOH can put the menu on the fridge. He can pick what he wants to eat. Or, it can be my responsibility that by Friday evenings or Sunday evenings, I must place the week’s menu on the fridge for my HOH’s approval. Then he can amend it as he sees fit. Groceries can then be bought by either my HOH, or myself, accordingly. If there is something he wants to eat, he can arrange the menu.
There will be one “take out night” and we can agree to a specific night for that. Maybe at the beginning there can be some leeway. I would wholeheartedly appreciate some by nights to accommodate the sudden change for me- and dealing with the kids at night. Maybe my HOH will grant me a few nights in which I feed only the kids (in exchange for some sort of altered punishment) or having so many “byes” per month. He could opt to attach punishment to these or simply make them free.
I guess it all comes down to what my HOH wants from me. I know obedience is a lesson I need to learn. There will be a difference between punishment for failing to do my chores and punishment for disobedience. If he wishes for me to not to have “bye” nights, then so be it. I suppose I can always ask permission to have a “bye” night. Maybe that is the way to handle it. Maybe, per his permission, I can have up to so many bye nights per month without being punished for not doing my chores. Of course, he can always call me and treat me with a bye night. A “hey Honey, you’ve been so good and it has been a busy day for you, I’ll bring home dinner…” would always be welcomed!
Also, I think it would benefit the household to be given a specific big project for the week. Cleaning out one closet, or area, or organizing something… I would be given a set amount of time to get my project completed. I will journal about my time management every day, trying to be honest about how I am spending my time.
I think the journaling is vital to LDD. It has helped so much already, even though we haven’t really started. It helps to write out my thoughts , hopes, and concerns about LDD. I think it is easier to write out what I am thinking, than to express them vocally. It will help with honesty as well. With the home project, for example, if I am told to journal every night about my proper usage of time, I need to be honest in my journal. If my HOH asks me if I got done as much as I could, I need to answer honestly, even if it leads to scolding, or punishment. If I am dishonest to him, and he reads this in my journal, than I will be punished for being dishonest.
I wonder if I will be sent to my room for specific journaling time. I guess if I keep it up daily then there will be no need. I do think it is an important aspect to LDD. I believe I should be punished in some manner for falling behind in it. I have been typing my entries on my laptop and copying them in my journal. It is so much easier to type it out, but probably 100x easier for my HOH to read it in my journal.
Either starting a blog would be great, or continuing to copy down my entries. He might like that I am spending extra time thinking about all of this by copying, or might prefer the blog. We need to talk about it. If we both had blogs, we could read each others. Or he might not want me reading his. I know there are other HOH blogs out there. He would benefit from being able to have another HOH to talk to, or have a HOH who can mentor him and help him.
I am just eager to begin. The anticipation of change is motivating me to change in little ways already. I want him to read everything and be ready to start on the same page.