When Inspiration Strikes...

Back when I was a teacher, ideas would occasionally strike me that I knew would hit a kid just right and I was glad when it happened. Friday night it happened with Kinsey.

We're going through a VERY selfish stage with her right now. I alluded to it in last week's post. Friday night, we went to a surprise teacher shower for a friend who is becoming a teacher. We brought some stuff for her classroom and were there to give her support (wish I'd got that when I was a first year teacher). Now, this friend is one we went to England with and generally, when she's around Kinsey, Kinsey gets her undivided attention. Obviously at this party, that wasn't going to happen and it just hit Kinsey wrong. She couldn't open the presents, she couldn't be right in front of everyone and she was pouting an incredible amount. I took her back to a bedroom and the waterworks and just SOBBING started. It was one of the most pathetic, attention seeking things she's ever done.

We immediately packed up to leave (with a 14 month old, it's a process), and when we got into the car, we started telling her how disappointed we were with her and how we knew she knew how to act, yet she wasn't doing it. And at this point, we got to the heart of why so much has been going on with her. She said that she worried that we didn't love her anymore because of Connor. So we re-assured her that that wasn't the case, but that that didn't excuse her behavior. She stayed teary all the way home and we sent her to bed as soon as we got there.

Sheryl and I talked about what consequence she needed to have, and she came out of her room claiming to need to go potty, so we let her. When she came out, I asked her why she washed her hands. She didn't know what I meant, so I said, "How did you know to wash your hands after you went potty?" She looked confused and said that she just knew that that was what she was supposed to do. I then pointed out that that was what we wanted selflessness to be for her. That it would be as natural as washing her hands after going potty. She nodded and I think she really understood it. The last few days have been better, although like any 6 year old, she's going to go in and out of them. I just hope that we can get her into a more consistent mindset of thinking about others. I think we will; it'll just take some time.