'Works' Every Time

"Mom!  She  . . . . . . . .!!!!! "

"Yes, but he . . . . . . . .!!!!! "

Approximately 4 minutes after an altercation with big sister Clara, Sunday afternoon.

So far, the hardest part of parenting for me is when my children argue with each other.  It hurts my ears to hear it, it hurts my eyes to see it, and most of all it hurts my heart to feel the unkind sentiments being slung through the air from one offspring to the other.  I have tried many strategies, but the one that I like the best and the one that works almost every time is work.  Work works!  If I, remain calm and before the fight gets heated, simply say, "Benjamin I need help cutting some celery for dinner, are you free?"  The fight ends immediately and his feet hardly hit the ground as he runs to the island to climb the bar stool.  For Clara, celery wouldn't cut it, as that would be considered a five-year-old distraction.  Instead, "Clara, would you help me separate some eggs for tonight's dessert?"  She would fly down the hall with her hair flappin' in the wind to get to that fridge to collect the eggs. I believe the power of work and service is a universal principal that helps anyone pull out of thinking purley about themselves and focus on helping others.  Especially five and eight year olds right before dinner.  Why don't I always use this method to prevent my children from going at each other?

The temperature of the fight reaches boiling point before I can distract.

I don't always remain calm. (This is critical by the way!)

I don't keep celery or eggs in my car.

A Little Lesson

Forget yourself and get to work.

                                                     -Gordon B. Hinckley

Love the story. . . love the quote.