A good looker? My mom was big on us being good "lookers". If she sent us into another room to get something and we came back saying we couldn't find it, she would tell us that if she went into said room and found it then she would know that we didn't do our best at looking. That stuck with me. I am hoping it will stick with my girls.
So, this afternoon, I was folding some laundry and having the girls put them away around the house. There was some lull time in between going to put away and coming back to me, of course, so I told them to bring me all the unmatched socks from their drawers so I could match them with the ones in the unmatched sock box in the laundry room. They both came back with one, maybe two. Well, I have been in their drawers recently and I knew there was more. I asked them if they did their best looking. They confirmed that they did. This momma knew better than that.
SO, I called them both back to me. I told them that they were to go back into their room and look in each others' drawer for stray socks. I told them that the one who brought back the most would win one chocolate chip for each sock brought back to me. I wish I had taken a picture. But then again, my camera transfer cord is broken so I couldn't transfer it anyway. But I digress. Their little honey and dark chocolate eyes got all starry and excitement started emanating from their mouth in the form of giggles and grins. Off they went. Olivia brought back 5 and Maia brought back 9. Nice! Score! High Five! ...
BUSTED!! *Can you hear that scratched record sound?* Uh huh, because I sure did. Grin. They girls grinned too. They knew they weren't in trouble. But they knew they had not done their best. That must've boosted their egos because they decided they wanted to go another round. Olivia wanted to the most because she wanted chocolate chips. So they went back to one another's drawer. Olivia came back with 4 more and Maia came back with 4. I was impressed and shocked. Those socks were not only unmatched most of them were used and dirty. Ew. Who needs boys when I have my own mini-stinky sweets? And as you can tell, Olivia was the biggest offender although Maia was not far behind.
When I was handing out the chocolate (Michaela also got two for using the potty), I told them that we were going to do this each Monday and that it would be in their best interest to not only put their dirty, unmatched socks in the hamper so their sister would have nothing to find (and, by golly, did they get a gleam in their eye when I said that) but also to be good lookers. Just like their mom ;) who was trained by her mom and who, no doubt, was trained by hers. Let the tradition of being not only good looking but looking good never cease.
4 comments:
Tish you write so well, and you are doing a wonderful job of getting the girls to be great, not just good lookers. Don't give up. There will always be something they (and we) need to improve upon, but you keep encouraging them to greatness. They will excel, in some areas, and need help with others. They will be what we commonly call, maturing.
I love it! I definitely need to use that on Victoria! When I send her to get something and she can't find it, I walk right to where I thought it was. She needs a lesson in being a good "looker"!
I am struggling with this with Noel. When i ask her to find something, I barely get out "Will you go find your..." Before i hear, "I can't find it. You look." Yea NOT. Ah the joys.
Wow Rae! You have your emotions and hands FULL with Miss Noel. My girls are still needing more practice at looking. I think half of it is listening. Half the time I will tell them where the item is! When they tell me they can't find it at that point, it is just plain annoying. Maybe biweekly "scavenger" hunt would be good, fun training? It'd be a fun FHE to help reframe looking...hmmm,now there is a thought!
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