Heh heh.. Reminds me of one of my favorite stories about our twin daughters. They both would lose anything and everything. Now that they are 20, they are a little better, but not much! We were always late for things because one or the other couldn't find both shoes. This had gone on for years without finding a good solution. One Sunday when they were about 10, I had had it with them and said fine, we will go to church with you wearing just one shoe. And we did. I did tell her that if she took the other one off, it wouldn't be as noticeable. From that time forward, she always knew where her shoes were. About 2 weeks later though, her sister did the same thing - also to never do it again. LOL They tell me now that it was then that they realized I meant business and it forced them to be responsible for their shoes. I only wish I had done it earlier!
Parenting, then, is the art of removing the time-gap between the choice and the consequence so that the natural deception inherent in God's patience is avoided...making the child EXPERIENCE the law of the universe, which is simple and clear: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; whatever you sow, that will you also reap."
Because I love him, I insist he reap what he sows in a manner that makes the connection clear. He will then correct all his own behavior, being rational and pain-adverse.
Thank you so much for this story. I struggle to get my oldest to put her shoes where they belong. Well, I should say she's gotten better since she's decided to take ownership of them and keep them in her bedroom, but before it was horrible.
I may have to try this with my twins. They are always losing their shoes. Drives me crazy.
Reminds me of my favorite kids war story.
During the CB craze, my oldest announced that if he couldn't have a brand x, model Y CB radio for christmas, (he was about 13 at the time) he didn't want anything. Of course I could not countenance allowing him to have no presents come Christmas morning, so he received a beautiful, elaborately wrapped....... brick.
For reasons that will be forever unclear, I never had that problem again from him, or from the other two.
He he he he he.