Of Sheep and Wild Children
The kids have gotten rather wild lately - messy rooms, blowing off schoolwork & chores, fighting, being sneaky. It's cabin fever - too cold to play outside lately & bored, bored, bored. Misbehaving is a quick, efficient way to create a little excitement. Watching Mom's head pop off is lots of fun.
The same scenario happens every year about this time. And...every year E & I have the same "You're Too Permissive vs. You're Too Authoritarian" um... er... discussions while we, yet again, seek to correct the problem. This year I was going to be ready for him. I set about researching discipline on the net. I would have proof that I was right although my method might be slower. I would quote 'the experts!' He would not win this time! I got busy googling.
Three days ago during one of my googles, in which I wandered too far into the internet and became terribly lost, I came across a Presbyterian minister's explanation of the "spare the rod and spoil the child" verse. It said the rod being refered to was actually a shepherd's crook used to guide the sheep back when they strayed too far from the fold & wasn't referring to beating children with a stick. I liked the minister's explanation & shared it with E (who also doesn't believe in beating children.) It was just a harmless, little anecdote, only remotely related to our um...er...debate. I thought he would find it interesting since he likewise had heard the verse used as a justification for corporal punishment while growing up. I had no idea a simple anecdote would be my undoing.
Well, he found it interesting alright. His eyes lit up with a victorious glint as he replied, "Yes, the curved part is hooked around the sheep's neck and he's firmly pulled back in line. It's not for leaning on while you wave to the sheep and say 'come. come.'"
I hate to admit it; but, after several days of Molasses Syndrome & the too public for my comfort Karate Incident, I have relented. E won out. T's room is one satellite reciever lighter; while K's new playstation now sits on E's desk. Their rooms are clean. They didn't argue about bedtime. Order has been restored. I'm happy with the results even though I am still picking the feathers (from the crow I had to eat) out of my teeth.
The same scenario happens every year about this time. And...every year E & I have the same "You're Too Permissive vs. You're Too Authoritarian" um... er... discussions while we, yet again, seek to correct the problem. This year I was going to be ready for him. I set about researching discipline on the net. I would have proof that I was right although my method might be slower. I would quote 'the experts!' He would not win this time! I got busy googling.
Three days ago during one of my googles, in which I wandered too far into the internet and became terribly lost, I came across a Presbyterian minister's explanation of the "spare the rod and spoil the child" verse. It said the rod being refered to was actually a shepherd's crook used to guide the sheep back when they strayed too far from the fold & wasn't referring to beating children with a stick. I liked the minister's explanation & shared it with E (who also doesn't believe in beating children.) It was just a harmless, little anecdote, only remotely related to our um...er...debate. I thought he would find it interesting since he likewise had heard the verse used as a justification for corporal punishment while growing up. I had no idea a simple anecdote would be my undoing.
Well, he found it interesting alright. His eyes lit up with a victorious glint as he replied, "Yes, the curved part is hooked around the sheep's neck and he's firmly pulled back in line. It's not for leaning on while you wave to the sheep and say 'come. come.'"
I hate to admit it; but, after several days of Molasses Syndrome & the too public for my comfort Karate Incident, I have relented. E won out. T's room is one satellite reciever lighter; while K's new playstation now sits on E's desk. Their rooms are clean. They didn't argue about bedtime. Order has been restored. I'm happy with the results even though I am still picking the feathers (from the crow I had to eat) out of my teeth.
Labels: life
posted by Cindy at 12:42 AM
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