If you need some advice on some low income options, send me a PM and I can give you some assistance.
I will agree that the more time I spend with my kids the better they behave. It is like night and day to compare summer when I have lots of free time and November/December when work and school keep me very occupied.
edit: Labeling him the "The Ring Leader" or something to that effect, to his face, only serves to reinforce that behavior. Kids believe what people in positions of authority tell them.
from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labeling_theory since I don't have time to look up a real reference.
Quote:
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Our self-image is, in fact, constructed of ideas about what we think others are thinking about us. While we make fun of those who visibly talk to themselves, they have only failed to do what the rest of us do in keeping the internal conversation to ourselves. Human behavior, Mead stated, is the result of meanings created by the social interaction of conversation, both real and imaginary.
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With my 2 year old, even when he has just done the worst thing ever I always tell him: "You are a good boy, good boy's shouldn't do bad things", and then explain why what he did was bad. More correctly, explain what the proper way to do things would have been - ie be gentle with the baby vs don't hit the baby. With 7 year old, you might not need to do that as much, but I think positive reinforcement influences kids more than negative reinforcement, especially kids who might be 'troubled'