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Day One at only 8:11 in the morning (with the girls being awake for only 45 minutes)- the girls are rushing around seeking to do good. They come up with a new thing to accomplish only to find that another sister already thought of it. They are very motivated-especially number 2 child! She is full of excitement. Over Christmas break she even created her own schedule to adhere to when we started school again. Tell me we don't all crave some amount of structure in our life. If only that was a strong suit of either me or the hubby. We are both very weak in the area of structure and schedule of time. As we are doing this I am trying to explain the heart behind the deed. Explaining that when they choose to help their baby sisters it is them really helping Jesus (they are "the least of these" in this household). I also am reminding them that this is an external motivator that I hope with teach them to be internally motivated to please the Only One that matters! They have really been struggling with their attitudes and bickering and I want them to begin to consider the effect (or is it affect? Please post and let me know. I always forget when to use affect instead of effect.) their attitudes and words have on the family. I feel empowered at this moment in time in regards to their discipline. Because they are excited about the Pebbles of Purity, I can use them as both a positive reinforcement and a negative reinforcement. When they are arguing, bickering, using unkind words, having a bad attitude I can simply say, "Go take a pebble out of the jar.". I can say it without anger, without condemnation. We will have to tweak some things, I am sure. Right now, they receive a pebble in their jar when they do their daily expectations (making beds, putting their dishes in the dishwasher, school work -one for each subject), when they are "caught" doing good (helping the little ones, cleaning something without being asked, encouraging each other). They also can have one removed if they make bad choices. We counted out a hundred of the pebbles and put them in a jar and made a mark on the jar. The girls decorated the jar and put a ribbon around the mark. When the pebbles reach the mark they receive $5 (This is the allowance I have wanted to give to them, but always forget to give them.). The $5 will be split into three catagories - tithe, savings, spending - so that they learn financial responsibility. This is an area I struggled with as an adult. I have always found it easy to tithe-that was ingrained in us as children, but we never learned to save. I have friends who learned to tithe 10%, save 10%, and spend the rest for whatever and it is amazing to see them now as adults tithing and saving 20% in both areas with ease b/c it is as natural as breathing for them. Ok, the money thing is for another blog. I have to go and teach at the Y. Chris will have to take over the Pebbles for this morning, but I am sure the girls will remind him of their good deeds. |
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Posted by Anonymous
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