We have a sad spoon. (Actually, we have two sad spoons. One stays inside my pocketbook, and one is in our kitchen. ) The sad spoon is used only when our children are intentionally disobedient or defiant. We never spank the girls when we are angry, and while we would prefer to 'overlook an offense', we understand that training and disciplining our children go hand in hand. Today as I was reading in Hebrews, I came across an encouraging scripture that I really need as a parent. "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."- Hebrews 12:11 There are days that I feel discouraged as a mommy because my children are continually requiring me to be the referee, the mediator, and the sad spoon administrator. wink. A dear, wise friend told me that God doesn't expect us to be perfect, but he does expect us to be growing. I'm still learning a lot about being a mommy, and I am so thankful for God's word, a loving husband, and Christian friends who share their wisdom. I want to find joy (and many smiles) in the trials of parenthood. Which brings me back to the title of this post- marching...Wubs has been working on using words that are not angry or whining. It's been an uphill journey for our oldest daughter, and we have been training her in this area. We have been giving her examples of words she could use when trying handle a frustrating situation. Wubs has been wrestling with this concept to the point of making a growling sound when she is mad, because she didn't want to get the sad spoon for using angry words. (I quickly trained her that growling was not okay either. wink.) This morning as I was turning off her television show and leading her to take a bath, she glared at me and stomped her foot- hard. "Wubs, did you just stomp your foot at mommy? Was that a kind thing to do?" Wubs replied, "Awwww, mommy. I wasn't stomping. I was marching with one foot."
(Thank you to Lisa for the beautiful black and white pictures I added to this post! You are such a gifted photographer!)
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful in building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."- Ephesians 4:29
What a great reminder Sarah, thank you! And on the actual story part, well ... you have one smart girl on your hands. ;)
ReplyDeleteOh Sarah, This post touches so close to my heart today. Today was a day I had to get our sad spoon. And today it broke my heart. You are an amazing mom and friend. I love you and miss you!
ReplyDeleteSarah - you are my iron sharpens iron. I am so glad you wrote this down, I will probably read it periodically!! Love you best friend. Thanks for fearing God -- J
ReplyDeleteGreat words, Sarah! Thanks for the reminder. I have found (in my growing as a Mommy) that the days that needed the most "training" ended up being the days with the most loves at the end. None of us necessarily enjoy "training" but hopefully we can appreciate it. Oh, and watch out...sounds like you have quite a negotiator on your hands! LOL!
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