On the "bonus features" of Jonah -- A VeggieTales Movie, there is a suggested family-building activity to create "Second Chance Cards." Cami has wanted to do this for weeks and I've kept it in the back of my mind for a future Family Home Evening activity. But her patience wore thin & yesterday she pulled out her art supplies.
She didn't quite get the original concept, which was when one messes up, to give the offended party your second chance card as a way of saying, "Please forgive me and give me a second chance." Instead, she colored pictures (and I did one, too), laminated them with packing tape, and gave them to everybody. She wants us to return them when we mess up with her.
Well, she gets mine. After putting effort into making today a pretty good day (took her & Graham to a farm, invited her friend over & baked cookies, let her play at the kids-next-door's house) she threw a bender. I didn't feel angry, but I wasn't loving when I let her know that I'd done a lot of stuff to make her happy & wasn't appreciative of the tantrum she was throwing.
We had a talk afterward and tried to apologize to each other. And I think she believes me, because when she was going to bed she asked me how my "love tank" was full. It's full because I know that even though I don't match my mental picture of who I should be I did well today at letting my kids be who they want to be.
2 comments:
this is what i remind myself of everday when i see my dutch neighbor's children falling in line because of the various reprimands they recieve for behavior...glad there are still the "let kids be who they want to be" mentality out there, albeit hard to manage sometimes. (you know my sister-in-law was a fan of it too and i love sweet memories :))
Starr, I learn a lot from you.
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