Today is Five-Minute Friday, in which The Gypsy Mama gives a writing prompt and bloggers write for the love of writing for five minutes. Then hit publish. Just write. Today’s prompt is “tender.”
“STOP!” I yelled across the room.
IDiddy just looked at me and smiled.
He knew exactly what he was doing.
His brother looked at me as well. Not only did I get IDiddy’s attention but now HDiddy was interested in playing along as well.
IDiddy went right back to trying to squeeze behind the TV stand.
There’s just something about small places that attract little boys. There’s always something interesting or exciting about them.
I started my three count.
“IDiddy. One!”
He looked at me and started to back away.
Now his brother had made his way to the other side of the TV stand and was trying to squeeze himself behind the stand.
“IDiddy…. TWO!”
He smiled. Wondering whether or not to test my patience again.
I glanced over at HDiddy and saw he was reaching for the long TV cables now.
“HDiddy! ONE!”
HDiddy is a little more responsive to “the count” and backed out from the tight spot.
IDiddy… not so much.
“IDiddy! Last chance.”
He smiled.
“IDiddy. Three!”
I walked over and picked him up.
“Time out for one minute,” I said forcefully as I sat him down in my lap.
I began to count down one minute of time as IDiddy watched his brother starting back behind the TV.
Before long, HDiddy joined me in my lap as well.
This continues several times over the next 15 minutes or so.
The boys squeeze behind the stand. I begin the count. We all sit in timeout together.
After the third or fourth time I let them out of my lap and lead them outside where we run and toss a ball together.
Soon their mind is all wrapped up in the excitement of playing outdoors with their dad and the TV stand is forgotten about until another time and place.
Forcing my boys to stop their activity doesn’t play out so well, but lovingly guiding them in another direction does so much more.
If only I remembered this trick in the beginning.
“…God’s (tender) kindness is meant to lead you to repentance…” Romans 2:4
I remember the stress and exhaustion from those days. Oh, how I wish I could go back in time, for just a day, to when my adult children were small.
That is great perception, great training, a great story, and a great parallel and lead-in to the best news ever told. Thank you. I’m extremely proud of what God is doing in your family, and ours, as a result.