Yesterday was interesting. The party issue brought some things for me to think about…mercy, forgiveness, respect, disobedience, overreaction, impulsivity…
I debated whether or not to allow William to go to this party. I thought about what had happened, and few things stood out in my mind. I won’t bore you with the details.
In the end, William stayed home from the party. There was a little quiver in his chin when we talked about it. “Okay” was all he said.
I told him how proud I was of him for the way he was handling it. I really was.
Then I let him play the DS for an hour. And when I told him to turn it off, you could see a moment of anger rise in his face, and his eyes met mine. And then, that angry curl on his lips softened, because he remembered what trouble he had been in yesterday.
And the next thing he did? He sat down with a piece of paper and began to draw a picture. (which he NEVER does). I was not allowed to look. (Which certainly had me curious…)
He drew a picture if himself, and me. And we were smiling. Big smiles with lots of crazy teeth.
And then he got tired of it when it came time to color it in (William hates coloring). So he scribbled all over it, laughed his silly, infectious laugh, and crumpled it into a ball. Which is why I don’t have a picture of it.
But the big smiles with the crazy teeth in that picture tell me something…
This punishment, it was the right thing. And I’m glad it’s over with.
And I love him so much.
no small thing 
It definitely was the right thing. Children thrive on discipline and direction. It lets them know they are so loved.
I know it was hard for the both of you, probably more so for you. In the grand scheme of things, a party only lasts a couple of hours. The lesson learned lasts a lifetime. At least, we hope.
I’m glad you got peace about it. Good for you! You’re such a great Mama. I want to be like you when I grow up!
Exhale … whew. Good for you for standing your ground. (I would have caved and then dealt w/MORE issues over my wishy-washy parenting!) Now he knows the consequence. Enjoy your weekend!
I’m so glad it all worked out. This mama stuff certainly isn’t for the faint of heart.
Oh Kristen… I feel your pain, but you did Good. And well.
“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.” Heb 12:11
You rock.
Good for you girl. I myself am in the middle of a two week grounding with my oldest. You have given me the conviction to follow it til the end.
You are a great role model for following through on the consequences! It can be so hard in the short term, but a gift for your child in the long term. I liked your comment about heaven on my blog! I’m glad to hear someone else who believes our pets go to heaven! A few years ago I lost a poodle I’d had for 19 yrs, how amazing to see her again!
It is HARD making those tuff calls as a mom. He will be a better “man” because his mom choose to do the hard parenting 🙂
It can be so tough being a mom. Making the right choices now makes it somewhat easier later.
As a “no-experience-in-that-at-all!” mom, can I just say thank you for sharing all of this? It was so interesting to hear your thoughts and how William responded in the end. Oh, the things I have to look forward to! 🙂
You’re such a good mom. Way to stay strong. It’s going to make your life SO. MUCH. EASIER. in the long run. (William’s too!)