So a question was posed for today. Is it the Jump or the Landing that matters more? Quite frankly that is an odd question. To me? The jump matters. But in my minds eye we’re about 35 feet up a craggy cliff w/sharp rocks circling the only deep recess that will cradle our impact. You don’t calculate that free-fall right, well, maybe that is a tad morbid. But perhaps my mind was thinking literally instead of figuratively.
Let us go this route, teaching kids manners. Yes…I said manners. You know the things that actually involve more then please or thank you? Does it matter to you that someone barks out an order but innocently flutters an eyelash and utters a delicate “pretty please” at the end? Not really, no. They are still being rude.
And the term rude is the word of the day in our house. How DO you teach a child manners and expect them not to also have a directive tone? I have instilled the Princess Pause. {Thankfully, I have a princess & pink girlie-girl}. We have followed in the shoe steps of an Olivia episode and constructed our rules that a Princess must live by. And one such rule is that Princesses pause.
Instead of…”Mom I need that roll! Please?”
Its now….”Mom, {pause} I need that roll please.”
And presto chango! The pause saves the day and the whole constructive sentence. See its kind of hard to be demanding, rude and otherwise {hastily} polite when your given pause for the brain to catch up to what your saying. Plus, shouldn’t one always pause politely before taking a big leap as well?
I was totally thinking I had her like an 8-ball in the corner pocket. Until she found out what a rock star was {see above}. Rack ’em up! We’re back to square one. {lol} And you on the cliff? Its really just a crap-shoot, so just jump already.