Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hop To It!

One of the best parenting books that I've read to date is Lisa Welchel's Creative Correction.  Not only is it full of Biblical parenting wisdom, it shares creative and practical ideas you can use in disciplining your children.  We've used the ideas shared in the book to help end an argument and solve the problems in the never ending saga of sibling rivalry.  Well...this weekend, we added another strategy.
We've watched this clip numerous times.  I have no idea why they are hopping...It could be a hoax for all I know.  What I do know is that we start laughing the minute they start hopping.  So that got me thinking...
Big Guy & Middle Man couldn't agree on something Saturday morning.  Voices were raised and the alarm of "MOM!" was sounded.  After calling the perpetrators down to the kitchen, I told them to start hopping.  What?!?  The look on their faces was priceless!  
"Yep, if you two want to keep arguing, then keep hopping."  
Even Little Buddy joined in on the hopping...and he wasn't even a part of the disagreement!  Within 15 seconds, they were tired (which makes it hard to argue when you're out of breath!) and laughing (which makes it EVEN harder to argue when you're laughing!).  I don't think they even remembered what they were arguing about at that point.  
Then yesterday, we were out and about as a family.  An argument ensued between Little Buddy & Middle Man.  "Start hopping" was all I had to say.  We got quite a few looks in the middle of the parking lot as each held his foot and hopped while working the problem out.  
Maybe hopping to work out a disagreement will start to spread.  We might even see it on the next presidential debate!

1 comment:

  1. What a hoot! I can think of all sorts of possibilities..road rage, parking place battles, fender-benders, court cases..the list goes on..

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