OK, so I'm not too sure how I feel about this and I apologize in advance to anyone who happens to come by this week or see us out in public looking a bit......OFF, but I'm knee deep into an experiment.
natural consequence: The action that occurs [naturally] as a result of an initial action.
We blazed out of the house today to go see Brodie at work. I said nothing about the breakfast dishes, unbrushed hair, PJs on the floor, or children without sweaters and shoes. I simply watched...and waited...and held my tongue...and prayed for enough self-control to allow my children to experience natural consequences.
It's NOT easy, but I'm feeling like giving this a try and I guess we'll see what happens?! I've committed to at least one day if not a whole week of observing my children in action without constant prompting from Mom. I'm prepared mentally (as well as can be) to see my home (and children's hair) in complete disarray. And I'm praying that my efforts will pay off in the end as my little dear ones realize just how much they contribute to (or detract from) the harmony of our family and home.
Of course I realize fully that it's my job as the parent to train my children and I most definitely do that with intentionality every other day of the year. But, today/this week, I'm just going to sit back and see how much they've learned, how responsible they can be, how natural consequences can encourage growth, and even how much I can learn to let go of...
...as I embrace the ramifications of my little secret experiment.
(No...I will not be posting photos :/)
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a
worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth."
1 Timothy 2:15
"Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; whoever is discerning, let him know them; for the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them."
Hosea 14:9
"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."
Colossians 3:20
[UPDATE: SOS!!! I surrender!!! Forget the experiment...point taken. Kids need parents to hold them accountable...constantly... even the sweet ones. I give in (after less than 24 hours. Yikes!) Even though there were a few moments of victory today, there's no way I'm doing this for a whole week. Ha! I'm realizing that I really don't want to start tomorrow with yesterday's chores. So, I'm declaring the observation portion of the experiment officially over. Let the lesson portion of the experiment begin...]
"A child left to himself brings shame to his mother."
Proverbs 29:15
[UPDATE #2: Alright, so it's a new day and I have to say the whole experiment thing (although worth a try) was just confirmation of what I already knew. Kids need parents. Left alone to their own devices (at least at their young age anyway), calamity is bound to abound. After a successful "lesson portion of the experiment" last night, we all worked hard together as a team to put our home back together. I was grateful for my children's hearts as they listened to mine and truly seemed to have learned something.
They were compassionate and understanding, sympathetic, sorry, and eager for restoration. They rallied to go room by room in pairs, renewing what the day had demolished and in the end...all is well and back to "normal" over here, hearts included.
Hopefully a lesson was learned (by all, including me). Who knew it took so much self-control to NOT clean?!
I'm thankful for my role as Mom and I'm thankful for the outcome of my painful-messy-helpful-rejuvenating-bonding-inspiring-let's-not-do-that-again-anytime-soon-definitely-over secret experiment.]
"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6
"They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."
Titus 2:3-5
