Reactive Parenting

Friday morning Steve and I were in our bathroom getting ready for the day when we heard a wail coming from the boys' bathroom.  The hours between 7-9 am in our home are quiet hours.  If there is calm in the house, Saylor will sleep until almost 9.  And if Saylor sleeps, I can get things done.  These hours almost count as double for her and for me.  They are golden hours.  So a loud wail at 7:30 get big reaction from me. 

Steve ran into the boys bathroom and then came back to talk to me.  

"Andrew was trying to give Carter a swirly.  Andrew said he was just kidding, but Carter thought otherwise."  

"What did you do?" I asked?  

"Nothing, I wanted to talk to you first."

"Andrew deserves a swirly of his own."  (I'm a parent...not a saint) 

"Yeah, I agree, but that would be reactive parenting."

I agreed with Steve on that part.  My first irreverent reaction towards Andrew would not have been appropriate.  What kind of mother gives her ten year old...however squirly he is...a swirly?  

"What do you have in mind for him?" I asked.  "It's got to be big."

"What if we let Carter take one of Andrew's Lego sets?"

"The punishment would be over too fast...what if Andrew had to make Carter's bed for a week?"

"Not big enough.  What if he makes all our beds for a week?"

"NIIIIICE!"

  

So my eldest is making all of our beds for a week.  As I looked at my bed Friday morning, I'm cringing because ten year olds don't exactly take pride in making a king size bed.  It's pretty bad, but he has got to learn.

Saturday morning I was sick and spent most of the day in my bed so Andrew was not able to make it.  This morning we went to Stake Conference and no beds were made.

 ...there goes my sweet punishment.

But weekends are like that.  Order and discipline should start again in the morning.