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Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Sweet

My children have been wearing my nerves rather thin in the way they treat each other.  It seems that someone is usually intentionally doing something to vex someone else.   Thus we have a lot of fighting and bickering going on.

I have been pondering and praying on what to do about this, and have recently been trying to focus on the positive.  This morning I told my kids that tonight I would make something sweet for those who try to be sweet today.  I then defined what I meant by sweet, and that they didn't need to be perfect, but they needed to try.

Cinderella was really positive today.  She tried not to yell or scream at her siblings, she helped me when she saw that I could use the help, and she tried to be kind.  She had a few times that she slipped up, but overall she did really well.

The other kids however didn't seem to care enough.  Maybe they are just too young to remember that long.  I tried to remind them, but they kept nagging and aggravating one another and me.

So tonight after getting the other kids to bed, I made a milkshake for Cinderella.  While we were eating our milkshakes, she told me, "I want to be like today everyday.  Even if I don't get a treat!"  I thought "Yes!" Her day made a positive impression on her.  Enough that at the moment she wants to try to be like this every day.

2 comments:

Rose said...

I love how you said that they didn't have to be perfect, but they needed to try. :)

In Mosiah 4, King Benjamin teaches, "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the devil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness."

Notice he mentioned to not let your children fight or quarrel (although I'm well aware that it's sometimes it's easier to let them fight and ignore it!)

Then, I believe he offers the solution in verse 15: "But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another."

So maybe you can glean something from that for your little ones. :)

Corinne said...

Score!! Aewsome parenting moment right there. Glad you recorded it.