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It’s true that kids will sometimes fight over anything. We just went through a few days of morning fights over who got to use a “special” spoon. I try to get the kids involved in meal preparations as much as I can. When you’re serving up cereal for breakfast there isn’t a whole lot to do, but I still like to give them something. I started asking them to help get out spoons and bowls. Little did I know that this would spark a controversy over who got to pick the coveted Dora spoon (that’s Dora the Explorer for the uninitiated amongst you). I tried reasoning with them, I tried taking turns with the spoon (but who can really keep that straight early in the morning), I even tried going back to the daddy picks the spoons model, but to no avail. One morning I told them to come to the kitchen for breakfast. One child obeyed right away and the other was delayed. I thought it would be a great chance to encourage obedience by allowing Nathan to pick the spoon he wanted. Here’s what happened next.

Emily enters the room and sits happily at the table. Nathan turns to Emily and holding up the spoon says, “Emily, did you want the Dora spoon”. Daddy thinks (aww, how sweet, he’s going to give it to her) Emily confirms her desire for the precious spoon. Nathan says “I’m Sorry, I have it”. Tears, crying, grabbing of spoons, and much commotion ensues. Once everyone is calmed down and quiet and holding their appointed spoon, Daddy attempts to drive home the point that children who obey are rewarded. Children finally begin eating. Emily calmly lays down her spoon and folds her hands in prayer. [At this point, I’m almost ready to throw the spoon over the back fence. Then I see Emily praying. I could not make out anything she said, but I knew it had to be about the spoon. ]

Emily then looks up from her prayer and just stares across the table at Nathan who is completely oblivious to his sister at this point and fully engaged in cereal consumption. She did not say a word but just sat there with a look of complete expectation on her face. That’s the best way I can describe it. I was just about to tell Emily in the nicest way I could that God may not rule in her favor on this one, when… to my surprise,

Nathan suddenly looks up from his bowl and holding out the spoon says, “here you go Emily, you can have the Dora spoon”.

Where do you go from there? I don’t know, they were finally eating, and I was running late.

 

 

 

Filed under: Family on February 19th, 2007