Parenting: Violated the Law of Choice

~ Aloha Family,

This took place on Wednesday 8/27:

I violated my son's choice as to "when" he did his chores.

He was getting ready to go out one night and before he made his way out the door,

I came up behind him and told him," Brah- you think you're leaving, NOT until you fold & put away your clothes!" <you know in that drill sargeant tone>

I knew it was a HUGE mistake by the way the smile disappeared off his face, by the way he huffed his way passed me to get to his room & by the scowl that was on his face after I was waving good-bye to him.

After telling the TRUTH about it on the Videochat on Thursday-I purposed in my heart to tell the TRUTH to him about it.

When he got home, I told him I was such a BIG BUTT for stripping him of his freedom to choose "when" he would do his chore. His response was very mature.

He told me, " Mom, you always taught us to take care of our "first things first," that was my bad- I was being lazy & irresponsible. You caught me doing it and an unloving Mom would have let that slide, but because I know you love me- you didn't. I wouldn't expect anything less than that from you now" He smiled at me, like there was no need for me to feel bad about it. MAJOR WOWAGE MOMENT!!! I didn't expect that as a result, ever!

It is way better than anything else we've experienced before Real Love. \0/

What once coulda been an ugly moment, turned out to be not such a bad deal after all.

I learned that 1) I never want to be the one who makes the smile disappear from someone else's face, 2) that telling the TRUTH about it to our Real Love Community makes telling the truth to the offended party easier, 3) that when we tell the truth-it opens the way for them to tell their truth, too and 4) that happy endings do happen!

Even for people like me-who are still overcoming obstacles in life.

This one was incredible for me to experience.

Thank-you, Papa Baer & the rest of you in my Real Love Family.

Sincerely peaceful,

~ Robin ~