PopContest #18
I had only let the pair of three year olds out of my sight for a few minutes...
I walked outside and saw dirt all over my steps, crushed flower petals, a broken pot and two dirty little faces. My son and his nephew were the culprits: two similar looking boys, same size, face structure, same clothes and giggles.
My husbands grandson and his son both looked up at my when I came outside. My sons playmate smirked at me defiantly with his little green eyes and said: "So you're gonna spank me now?"
My son laughed: "Momma doesn't spank!"
There was confusion from the green eyes. "Then what are you going to do?"
My son laughed again: "She's gonna tell us to pick it up!"
As one of the other kids went inside for a trash bag and broom, I explained to the small child, that his little bit of mischief had ruined some plants, made a big mess, and put momma to work. As the two boys pretended to clean up (aren't three year olds so much better at making a mess than making it clean?) I smiled at myself recognizing the change in me. My oldest child, my daughter would have been in severe trouble for those actions. There would have been lots of crying and yelling and the clean-up would have been punishment for all.
Not anymore, spanking, yelling, chastising, lecturing. Those things don't get you anywhere, they just cause discord and power struggles with our kids. Now I just tell them I love them, but not their actions and help them find solutions to fixing what they may have broken.
"I'm very sorry to the flowers." The little green eyed boy told me.
"The flowers will grow back." I responded as I gave him a hug.