Like I had mentioned, 'back in the day' the Becks were dealing with some sibling rivalry. I'm not sure why this bothered me. It wasn't the first time (or the last) that I became overly involved in the intricacies of my children's lives. But Kayla was younger, innocent, and genuinely a sweet little girl.
Looking back at my childhood, I feel it necessary to admit that I was certainly not an angel. I was actually a royal pain in the butt to my older brother. Truly. But he possessed an important self-preservation defense mechanism. He could easily outwit me with his quick comments and big words. I may have been the more relentless and annoying one, but he could bury me verbally. Subsequently, I would sometimes walk away confused, frustrated or plain-old bored.
The situation with our girls was different. Jordan was older than Kayla, and her verbal skills were quickly advancing. Unfortunately for us, she was getting more and more effective at 'making' her point. Kayla, who was in kindergarten, seemed defenseless. I couldn't bear to watch and allow it to continue.
So I did something I swore I would never do. I created-- a behavior chart. Ugh. Anyone who has ever taught pre-school before becoming a parent, will probably understand this line of reasoning; Yes, behavior charts have the potential to be effective tools in helping to make a lasting change in behavior. But behavior charts are only beneficial for... well, for those kids who need them. You know, the difficult ones, the ones who have issues.
And here it comes...... Cringe. (And/or karma. It depends how you choose to look at it.)
Thank You.
Us Too
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