Sisterly Love?! NOT!!

Oh what has happened to my sweet children?! THESE ONES...

Summer 2010

They have apparently been kidnapped and replaced with duplicate children I do not know. Seriously, things have become quite ugly around here. I can hardly stand how they are treating each other these days. They are terrible to each other. Horrible! And honestly, while Spring Break begins today and I'm looking forward to my parents arrival and the time my girls will get to spend with them - I am not really looking forward to having the next 9 days with my children.  Which if you know me, is not normal! Even Darian commented (from her weekend spent with them last month) how mean they have become to each other. I'm telling you, it's bad!

So while I try to remind myself that THIS is NORMAL. They are NORMAL. Siblings fight and argue and say mean things. It's part of childhood. I still DON'T have to like it. And while I can know this normal, I still feel like I have a responsibility as a parent to guide them, remind them, that they have the power within themselves to treat each other differently. I can't make them be kind - but I can encourage it. My personal challenge is to parent through this calmly. (I know, wish me luck!) 

So, I woke up at 5am this morning and my brain has just been spinning, but now, I've come up with a plan! And while it may or may not work - at least it's a plan! :) I'd rather be making some effort, rather than no effort, to encourage this sisterly love to return!

Here's the plan for spring break... It's a jar that I will label, "The Gift of Sisters".  The jar has about 30 slips of activities (note: I do realize that this may not be enough slips to last even the first day, but I'll put them back in and they can do them again and again!). Every time Mike or I hear the girls being mean to each other they will have to choose one of these activities for their consequence. Here are just 10 of the activities I came up with for consequences -

• THANK YOU SIS!: Think of two specific  things nice your sister has done for you. Write her a letter telling her thank you.
• CARD MAKING: Using my scrapbook stuff and/or cricut machine, go make your sister a special card.
• A LITTLE WALK: Look up this verse: Ephesians 4:32 and write it on an index card. Walk around the outside of the house 3 times, reading the words on the card the whole time.
• THANKFUL HEART: Go find your thankful journal and write down 10 specific things you are thankful for about your sister.
• MAKE THE BED: Go and make your sister’s bed really nice for her. NOW, Sit on her bed and say a prayer of thanks to God for giving you a sister.
• I’M NOT JOKING AROUND: Find 3 jokes and then tell them to your sister.
• COMPUTER BIBLE: Go to www.youversion.com and look up this bible verse: Proverbs 12:18. Type it in a word document in the NIV version, the NIrV version, the MSG version and the ASV version. Ask mom to help. Print it up. Highlight your favorite one.
• I HEART YOU: Make 10 hearts out of paper. On each heart write something you love about your sister. Start with “I love you because…”Hide the hearts around her room for her to find. 
• DICTIONARY: Find the definition for KINDNESS on the dictionary on my phone. Write down the definition of kindness. Below that write down 3 ways you can be kind to your sister today.
• 10 WAYS: Write down the top 10 ways you can make sure your sister does NOT like you today. (or, 10 things you can do to make sure she goes to bed mad at you tonight.) - trying reverse psychology with this one! ;)

Oh and when I told Mike this morning that I was working on a plan - he let out this half-sigh, 'wooo' kinda noise and informed me that I might be attempting the impossible with this one! So here's to attempting the impossible! :) I'll let you know how it goes.