Samuel’s sticker chart; a cat video
Samuel recently went through the worst tantrum-throwing period of his life. It lasted longer than a month.
Thankfully, that behavior has been curbed due to a simple innovation of Karin’s: a sticker chart. For his privileges, Samuel must now do chores or quietly endure hardship – teeth-brushing, Bible-reading, etc.
We use stickers to tally his past successes and forthcoming rewards.
He loves it. Even if he ends up with fewer benefits than he used to receive, he seems glad to exert more control over what is due him. Previously, he depended on our irregular whims. He had to plead. Or scream. It made him anxious (us, too).
No doubt, some lesson about distributive morality can be gleaned from this. …
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
But what, exactly, are these new efforts teaching him?
They aren’t teaching him about the intrinsic value of working or of managing his outbursts. His efforts are mere means to ends.
He might develop a liking for some of these respectable new behaviors. That would be nice!
But I doubt he’s learning to enjoy work as such. Few do. People might enjoy working hard at X, but that’s not the same as enjoying hard work as such.
(Even hardworking people tend not to work hard in every sphere. They prefer to delegate what they dislike to do, or fear to do, to specialists and grunts. Presented with courses of action that are likely to generate similar results, they choose the course that requires the least work for themselves.)
Samuel might be learning some self-control. He certainly talks about it more since he was told about the Fruit of the Spirit in Sunday School. He came out of class saying, “Sammy is self-control.”
Again, the benefit is limited. A person may or may not be self-controlled. But it doesn’t count as “Fruit of the Spirit” unless, you know, it actually comes from the Holy Spirit. I wouldn’t know how to engineer that.
Samuel’d have to give his life to Jesus. …
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Daniel, meantime, is still utterly wild. …
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
This video is our new family favorite.
Thankfully, that behavior has been curbed due to a simple innovation of Karin’s: a sticker chart. For his privileges, Samuel must now do chores or quietly endure hardship – teeth-brushing, Bible-reading, etc.
We use stickers to tally his past successes and forthcoming rewards.
He loves it. Even if he ends up with fewer benefits than he used to receive, he seems glad to exert more control over what is due him. Previously, he depended on our irregular whims. He had to plead. Or scream. It made him anxious (us, too).
No doubt, some lesson about distributive morality can be gleaned from this. …
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
But what, exactly, are these new efforts teaching him?
They aren’t teaching him about the intrinsic value of working or of managing his outbursts. His efforts are mere means to ends.
He might develop a liking for some of these respectable new behaviors. That would be nice!
But I doubt he’s learning to enjoy work as such. Few do. People might enjoy working hard at X, but that’s not the same as enjoying hard work as such.
(Even hardworking people tend not to work hard in every sphere. They prefer to delegate what they dislike to do, or fear to do, to specialists and grunts. Presented with courses of action that are likely to generate similar results, they choose the course that requires the least work for themselves.)
Samuel might be learning some self-control. He certainly talks about it more since he was told about the Fruit of the Spirit in Sunday School. He came out of class saying, “Sammy is self-control.”
Again, the benefit is limited. A person may or may not be self-controlled. But it doesn’t count as “Fruit of the Spirit” unless, you know, it actually comes from the Holy Spirit. I wouldn’t know how to engineer that.
Samuel’d have to give his life to Jesus. …
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Daniel, meantime, is still utterly wild. …
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
Sometimes I’m alone
Sometimes I’m not
Sometimes I’m alone
Hello?
This video is our new family favorite.