A Time and A Place

You know the old saying "To everything there is a season", or "There's a time and a place for everything". Well, that is the lesson we are really struggling to learn over here in the Hansen Household.

I don't know if it's because I'm super-pregnant, not sleeping, uncomfortable and tired, but lately, my patience for any sort of misbehavior has hit sub-zero levels. Pair this with 4 small children who think the world is their jungle gym and let's just say our home life is less-than-Brady these days.

Just tonight, the kids were playing downstairs before dinner. They were rowdy beyond belief, but as they were downstairs, they were in the correct PLACE for that type of behavior. (My rule is either outside or downstairs for extremely boisterous play. There's simply just too many of them to allow that kind of play upstairs!)

So, I called them up for dinner, had them sit down in their chairs and we did not even get through saying our prayers before the rowdiness completely took over the room. In hindsight, I understand that I didn't give them much time to "transition" from play time to dinner time and I would have been well-served to call them upstairs a bit earlier, but the fact remains that the DINNER TABLE is not the TIME nor the PLACE for playing. I just have no tolerance for lack of manners at my dinner table and yet the kids continue to test my patience on this issue. (I'm certain they know it's one of those famous "mom-buttons" kids like to push.) The kids were just completely unable to settle themselves down and one by one they were told to leave the table and told they could not have dessert. 

OOOOOOH, the meltdowns. OOOOOOOH, the "I'm sorry Mamas". Just now Mason said that every time he looked at the dessert, it made him want some. I asked him if I should just eat all the cake myself so it would be gone and he wouldn't have to look at it. He was not impressed with my sense of humor. But I was. I dissolved into a fit of giggles.

So, while we won't give up on teaching the "Time and Place" lesson, I think it would be wise if I remembered that there are still some adults -- obviously myself included -- who struggle with a fit of giggles at inappropriate times. (Sorry Mason.)