Behavior

Behavior is our house is on polar ends of the spectrum. Today is an excellent example: In Olivia's class they use the traffic light to help the children understand their behavior. Green is good behavior, your clothespin gets moved to yellow if you break a rule, and red means that you have not headed the warning of yellow and your behavior is bad, bad, bad. So having explained that, this is not much of a conversation with Olivia. She is a green light girl. She enjoys doing the right thing. It is almost an obsession with her. Today when I arrived at the Daycare to pick up the children I was met by one of Olivia's teachers. She explained that Olivia had to be moved to yellow when she was talking while the lights were out. The dear teacher was not explaining this to me so I would talk to Olivia about her behavior, it was more of an explaination of the state of my dear first born. Olivia had already been in tears and appologized numerous times to the teacher. Sorry that she had made her upset by talking while the lights were out. As soon as I walked into Olivia's room to gather her for the weekend she broke down into a flood of tears. Sorry, so sorry. I explained to her that everyone makes mistakes and that we just needed to learn from those mistakes. She continued to cry. I told her that I forgave her and so had her teacher. She continued to cry. I told her that I had bought her breadsticks for dinner, she felt she didn't deserve them. She continued to cry...out the door, to the car, on the ride home, and stopped approximately an hour ago. Olivia has always been sensitive to those around her. She prides herself on making others happy-and she felt she had not done that. Remember this was only a yellow light. I pray for us all if she ever hits a red light moment. On the other end of the spectum is Abrum. Abrum whom several times this week has sat in time out, licked toys, thrown toys, not done as his teachers have asked, can't believe that his parents are both teachers Abrum. Yes, he cried when I told him that his father and I were disappointed in his behavior. And on the way home he asked if it would make me happy if he did the bug dance (a little bumper wiggling dance). I said no, it would make me happy that he listened and choose to do the right thing at school and home. And by the time I pulled up in the driveway he decided a kiss would be the best way to make me feel better. And really how could it not make me feel better? and the tragedy is over. Simple and sweet. And now that the behaviors are settle and the house has returned to it's original state...we begin our weekend with a M&M taste testing, movie watching adventure....