One child (that shall remain nameless, but I will tell you that she is FIVE!), entered the dining room at lunch time and plopped into a seat that her brother adores. We do not have assigned seats, and the kids move around a lot. It's fine to sit wherever. It is NOT fine to make choices in a way that deliberately hurts someone else.
She swung into this particular chair and in a very sing-song manner said, "I'm going to sit in this chair." You could smell the "Nya-nya!" in the air.
Thank you, super sweet Jesus, for helping me to think on my feet.
"Honey, it sounds to me like you really enjoy that chair. I want to make sure you enjoy your lunch right there. So, why don't you go put your plate in the kitchen, and when everyone else is finished eating, you can take your time eating in that very spot."
Normally, I have to set a time limit on meals. Again - parenting trauma - backward! One of my healing kids tend to do things at a snail's pace - even eating. Not today, though. I just let everyone take ... their ... sweet ... time.
Five year old sat quietly in the living room until the last person finished up. Then she enjoyed a room temperature meal all by herself, in that chair that she so vocally claimed.
7 comments:
Wow! You were thinking fast! Maybe our kids will keep up from getting dementia cause they really keep us on our toes. ;-)
J does the snail pace too so we have the limits.
Awesome idea! I have to set a time limit on meals, too, which is funny since the boys do everything else at warp speed...
Nice. I've never been one to think on my toes in the discipline department. I need a quick answer rolodex for saucy behaviors. Do you think you could get on that in between those matrix moves. ;)
You have a mind like a steel trap woman. Mine is becoming a rusted out mouse trap so I'm using your idea! ; )
Ooooooh, I like that.
I'm telling ya, you gotta write a book!
You know, in all that spare time you have between AT sessions. :P
Brilliant.
(And way to go giving the glory to God without sounding all preach about it!!)
There are so many reasons I hang out here. :D
How do you stop a one year old from spitting his food everywhere and laughing about it?
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