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He knew the rules. He broke the rules. He had consequences. A consequence that he was willing to fight for 2 1/2 hours.
Eating what is offered to you is a pretty big deal around here. You are grateful for what you have been given and you finish the food on your plate before getting more. Pretty simple!
Little Man decided he didn’t want to finish his lunch. So, it was put back into the refrigerator for the next time.
Not a big deal. This is the norm around here.
At snack time, Little Man (age four) was instructed to finish his lunch before getting a snack. He had yogurt and a piece of cheese to finish. Again, not a big deal.
I had to leave the dining room for some reason and Little Man came to me stating, “Mom, I finished it. I am done.” Oh really. See past experience has told me that Little Man is sneaky and…well…he struggles with the truth. He lies!
I said, “You didn’t eat the food. Did you?” to which he responded “Ok. I am not going to lie.” (I think he already did!) I told him to go get the food and return to the dining room table to finish it. Following him to make sure the job was done, he went to the cabinet where he had hidden his yogurt and cheese.
Once he got everything back to the table, the standoff began. 15 minutes went by. 30 minutes of crying and self-talk.
I shouldn’t have lied.
How does she always know when I lie?
How can I solve this problem? (Little Man is very analytical.)
About two hours into the standoff, I heard a sweet little voice say, “Dear God, I need You to help me.”
Two hours, 15 minutes. “Mommy, will you come and hold my hand while I take a bite?”
Most definitely!
It took another 15 minutes but everything was eaten. Every bite. Then he said, “Just eating it was the only solution to the problem!”
The great thing about this is that I didn’t get upset one time. Actually I remained very calm. (A true attest to God’s grace.) The fact was that he knew what he had to do, lied about it, and still had to finish the task at hand. He learned that there are consequences for lying and that God will help him.
Knowing our Little Man, this standoff won’t keep him from lying. He will need to test the waters several a gazillion more times. But, this is one more time that the waters weren’t pleasant and hopefully he will think twice about making a poor choice.
What is the consequence for lying at your house?
Awesome. Thanks for the inspirational read. 🙂
PS – how old is Little Man?
Little Man is a determined four year old.