Lessons from Faith

We flew kites in the park across from Provo Hospital with Faith last week. It was super fun! I had forgotten how entertaining kites can be. Faith had to continually remind me not to fly mine too high because she was afraid that it would get away.

Later, we walked to the nearby McDonalds and enjoyed a treat. Faith played for 20 minutes, by herself, in the indoor playground. She just crawled around and wouldn't come out. Even after we called to her, she hunkered down in the deepest corner like she was getting ready for a winter-long siege.

Rose and I were both baffled. We didn't know how to coax her down. We told her mom we'd have her back home by 6:30pm and we only had a couple of minutes left. I felt frustrated for the first time as a mentor. I couldn't use any physical force since I was only a "big brother" and not a real parent. After an extra 10 minutes, Faith finally gave in after we wore her down--or rather, she wore us down by repetitively asking her to come with us.

I know now that she was just testing our limits. I had forgotten that I used to do having a complete disregard for the nerves of my parents and teachers.

Since McDonalds, I've thought a lot about discipline. Next time she test us, I'm going to try the following:

1. Reward, reward, reward Faith when she does something well that she has had trouble with before.

2. Reward, reward, reward Rose when Faith is being disobedient.

3. Have a serious chat about how I get disappointed when she does specific things to disobey.

4. Threaten to take away rewards if she doesn't comply.

I am still open to any parenting tips you might have for me. Please leave your thoughts by clicking the comments box below.

----------------
Listening to: Jessie Clark - Clay In His Hands

----------------
Listening to: St Philips Boy's Choir - Abide With Me

Comments

Rummi-"CUB" vs. Rummi-"CUBE"

The "Rummikub" Pronunciation Debate Affirmative Constructive: "Cub" For years, I have been a firm advocate and defender of the pronunciation, Rummi-"CUB". The game box I grew up with spelled it, Rummicub on the box. However, other productions of the game have variant spellings: Rummykub , Rummy Kube , Rummy Tiles , etc. Based solely on box spelling, the game's true pronunciation is open to interpretation. Therefore, Rummi"cub" is equally acceptable to any other given pronunciation. Negative Constructive : "Cube" My opponents argue that since the game originated over seas, we ought to respect and maintain its original pronunciation. Affirmative Rebuttal: Americanization of the Term When the game was brought to America and given Americanized rules, its name was also Americanized. Pronunciation loyalists then counter my rebuttal with, "there are lots of adopted foreign words that have retained their original pron...

Who's Got The Funk?

I am an amateur guitarist, and I've got no funk. My musical skills seem to lacking that special something . Great musicians have it . Those fortunate enough to have gotten hold of it , create timeless hits. While musicians without it fade into oblivion. After spending hours searching through Blues history websites and 1970's band documentaries online, I discovered what that special something is thank to a (70% Man, 30% fish) character from the BBC show "The Mighty Boosh" named Old Gregg. He identified that thing as The Funk ! But what exactly is The Funk ? Here is some dialogue from the show to help explain its origin and purpose: Old Gregg: You're a musician, yeah? Howard: Yes I am. Old Gregg: Butchya ain't very good, are ya? Howard: I'm one of the best in town. Old Gregg: Come on, I read your reviews. Hmm? You know what your problem is? Howard: What? Old Gregg: Ya ain't got the funk. You're all rigid. Hmm? You're l...

Song Analysis: Your Blood by Aurora

Do You Recognize the Melody? When I first listened to Aurora's 2023 hit single, " Your Blood ," I was immediately reminded of " Lovefool ," a 1996 classic from fellow Scandinavians, The Cardigans. I assumed they were both singing about unrequited love, but I realized they told different stories as I spent more time with Aurora's work. Background Interview with the Artist In this article, A Matter of the Heart , Aurora gives listeners a glimpse into the meaning behind her hit single, " Your Blood" . In summary, "Your Blood" reflects on the loss of heart and empathy in a world driven by rationality and profit, exploring themes of pain, empathy, and interconnectedness. Inspired by a letter written by Indigenous activists from Brazil , Aurora's album, What Happened to the Heart?, questions humanity's reliance on mind over heart, highlighting how decisions driven by logic rather than compassion lead to suffering, both for the Eart...

Tuesdays with Muerte

Search This Blog