I'll just get it out of the way: we spank. I wasn't sure if I should write about this story since I don't want CSD at my door. But it does have a spank involved so I had to get it out there. We don't leave marks on our kids and it's a serious offense that warrents a spank at our house. When we do it's talked about before: what happened and why it warrents it.
Anyway. Tonight was one of those nights. To be honest I prefere time-outs, taking things away, loosing privilages way more than a spank. Sarah was the offender. I asked her several times to fess up and she had several stories trying to not fess up to the event; I think she almost had herself believing that I wasn't right there when it all happened! Anyway. So it was and as I told her that her consequence was a spank. As I told her to come to the kitchen Taylor said "mom I want to take her spank" I had to think about it. I told him it would not be an easy spank but that he could if he really wanted to. He said yes. The 3 of us went to the kitchen. I looked at Sarah and asked her if she was sure she wanted Taylor to take her spank; "yes mom" eyes to the ground. So he did and there were a few tears shed. I asked her what she wanted to do and she came over to Taylor hugged him and said thank you. More tears. More hugs. Then off to bed they went.
I followed and we talked about consequences for actions. We talked about the fact that Jesus choose to take the consequences for our actions even before we asked him too, while we were still enjoying our wrongs (sin). We talked about things that are wrong, lying, stealing, just being selfish. We talked about how we all do those things (they were shocked to hear me say that mommy so struggles with those things) but that if we are honest and tell the truth and ask for forgivness it will happen. We talked about how Sarah saying thank you helped make them feel close as friends again. "please forgive me" is one of the hardest but most healing phrases I know.
Sarah said thanks again to Taylor and I don't think he will be asking to "take her spank" again anytime soon!
That is powerful. I hate it when they turn the tables on you like that. It makes parenting and spanking that much harder on us! What a neat way to get the Gospel in, though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!