His choice of discipline for fighting between the 2 of them has worked very well, and I have implemented it myself, as it seems to have the effects we are desiring, a change in behavior, starting at the heart. Here is what we have done - when they get in one of those knock down, drag out fights and there is no reasoning with them and we really do not know who is to blame, we send them each to the corner to cool down. While in the corner they have to think of 10 things they love about their brother and then tell their brother... the first time they had a really hard time thinking of things, but now it seems to work very well and they actually come up with some really sweet things they like about each other... and the best part is that after they are through telling each other what they like about each other they have forgotten about the fight and go off and play nicely together.
Yesterday was a different story. We discovered that Paul had colored all over a step stool that James made them so they could reach the sink to wash their hands. Paul emphatically denied that he did, although he knew what color it had been colored, what parts had been colored, and whether it was crayon or marker... David on the other hand did not know any of the facts, and was adamant that he did not do it. So, after reading Paul a portion of Proverbs chapter 6, (I think that is the right chapter, the portion about 6 things the Lord hates) he admitted that he did lie and that he was responsible for coloring the step stool. He was disciplined for lying and for blaming his brother; and for his punishment for messing up the stool, James decided that he would have to sand the parts that he colored. Well, this has backfired on my sweet husband! Paul is really enjoying sanding the thing, and David has decided that it looks like so much fun that he needs a project too! So he is now sanding the other step stool which has no coloring on it! They are both enjoying themselves... I just hope they do not decide to color other things in the house so they can sand them too!
It makes me wonder, are there some areas in my life where the Lord has been trying to discipline me, yet I just do not get it, and go along actually enjoying the discipline when I should be learning a lesson...
Any thoughts?
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4 comments:
This made me chuckle!
I am sure there are things that God is working on me that I didn't get and then had the light bulb moment. So glad that HE has a sense of humor and lots of patience with me!
Have a wonderful day!
Darlene
I know that I am right there with you...I know that I don't get it the first, second or third time when the Lord is trying to discipline me and make me understand that His way is the only way. I keep thinking that I will get smarter with age...but, it hasn't happened completely yet.
((hugs))
Jenn
We've made the girls clean up the crayon marks as well. The biggest thing Felicity can't stand is cleaning the whole sink in the bathroom after she leaves it a mess. After cleaning it 3-4 times in a day she has since been much neater and does not put the soap everywhere. As with me, I don't really think of my trials as discipline, I guess. It is an interesting thought, though. Mostly, I think of it as a potter molding the clay. I know there are imperfections God is trying to remove, and sanding which he does in my life. Same concept, I guess, I just never thought of it as discipline, more like "molding," but isn't that what we are doing to our children as we discipline them...molding them to be the Godly children we pray they will be. (:
I think it's still discipline even if they end up enjoying it. The discipline part is the actual training that addresses their heart and not always about outward consequence, although consequence is usually a helpful agent AS WELL. =)
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