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Monday, November 19, 2012

No Shirt Today

     "Mom, you NEVER do the laundry!"

     Really? My goodness, I get sick of hearing that. Of course, I feel like I do nothing but laundry and the truth lies somewhere in the middle. Closer to my side, though, I am sure.

     As we tore the house apart in search of a concert shirt required for school today, irritation flooded my entire being until it squirted out my mouth.

     Thankfully, I don't feel like the kids were scarred for life by my bemoaning their slothful ways. I was gentle, so no one even cried.

     How do I dissolve these problems? How do I get the kids to take responsibility for their own missing clothing? Ranging in age from 8-14, they are no longer little and I expect more from them. However, they are not consistently rising to the challenge. So, they will go to school with clothes that closely replicate the ones they should be wearing.

     Maybe that is why we have them for eighteen years, so we can instruct over and over the proper way to live. Perhaps that is one reason why we should read the Bible daily, because that stubborness never goes away. We must allow ourselves to be taught and retaught daily for our entire lives, lest wisdom elude us. When the active pursuit of wisdom is not in us, neither is the great bounty that she so openly offers.

     So,  a lesson for them and a lesson for me. If you don't know where your shirt is, you will have to wear something else. Allowing that consequence, rather than rescuing them, saves my sanity and hopefully helps to mature their thoughts and lead to responsibility. This in turn encourages a sense of accomplishment in them,  and relief in me.

     Do you ever get tired of relentlessly instructing others in responsibility?

   

6 comments:

  1. Jon and I truly believe in the power of consequences. You can't find your shirt for your recital? That sucks. Good luck!

    But you're right, it does get tiring. The same types of "missteps" over and over again! But hey, I still live like that and now I'm the parent. Haha Go figure.

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  2. Thank you! I still live like that too, Jess. Though I hope I accept the responsibility for it, and not place blame elsewhere.

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  3. Hahaha! I'm totally with you. Natural consequences are awesome but I'm not always good at that. :) Thank goodness for grace.

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    1. I am not good at it either, Jessie. My first instinct is to make everything better and have them all be happy. So, yes, thank goodness for grace :)

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  4. I teach 8th graders every day, talk about instructing responsibility! I do it every minute of the day. Just sent out 11 letters to parents about their student failing because of the choices they are making. I am hoping the parents will see that their student is failing because of the student's choice and that it is not my fault. But somehow I know I will get a parent who will want to know what I have done to make sure their student passes. Except it is not me who is not being responsible, it is them not being responsible.

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  5. Eighth graders are a challenge; my hat's off to you, Kat. I hope you find that all accept responsibility and rise to the challenge of pulling their grades up.

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