Sometimes I am guilty of handing out consequences without really thinking things through.
Let's just take Tuesday, for example.
The girls and I had battled all morning over cleaning the playroom. We had planned to meet some friends at the park after lunch, but I had told the girls that we weren't having lunch until the playroom was clean (which should have taken all of 4 minutes).
The minutes ticked by, and the room was still not clean. In my frustration, I
shouted out calmly explained that it was almost time to leave for the park, but since they had not finished cleaning up in time to eat lunch at home, they would have to take their lunch to the park to eat.
Okay, stop laughing. I know...a picnic in the park on a beautiful day. How horrible!
Here was my logic - Instead of playing with their friends in the park, they would have to sit all alone and eat. While watching all of the fun they could be having if only they had obeyed Mommy at home, they would become extremely remorseful and vow to be obedient until the end of time.
Obviously, that didn't happen.
On the way to the park, brown bags in hand, Grace actually thanked me for letting them have a picnic. "Not everyone is lucky enough to eat their lunch at the park!" she said.
UGH!
After eating their sandwiches and spending a few minutes in time out, they
did apologize. I'm kind of doubting, though, that this will be a lesson they will remember. Unless, of course, the lesson I was going for was, "Mommy doesn't think too quickly on her feet!"
I wish kids came with a discipline cheat-sheet. I wish they made playbooks for mommies that we could wear on our wrists like football players. No huddle or timeout required. One glance at my arm, and I'd know just what to do next.
Could someone start working on that?
Oh, how times have changed! This is a picture from the girls' first Christmas in 2005, when they were about 8 months old. Who knew 3 years were going to go by so quickly! It's true what they say...each day can seem like a year, but the years pass by like days.
