Turn every opportunity into a learning experience.

Or something like that...! The title is from one of the Love and Logic books.

Amor Chiquito was being impish and not in a cute way. It was lunch time. She kept getting up, grabbing toys and things that were not toys, and making messes everywhere. She intentionally dumped soapy water on the floor. She spilled sauce on the table.

Moving away from the important stuff, the lesson Ari learned today… You should have seen me… I was walking into the kitchen and stepped on the soapy water puddle. My socks were soaked. I return to the dining room. There was a royal mess on the table. Heck, there was a bit of sauce on my laptop keyboard! Cleaning the mess required many paper towels. Actually, it required a big towel!

Sometimes, I love being a stay-at-home mom. Sometimes, I love *the idea of* being a stay-at-home mom! It’s a messy, sometimes intense, job! Very long hours! But, at the end of the day, it is worth it!

Back to Ari’s lesson… I was busy cleaning up the sauce, so had not gotten to the soapy water on the floor. She slipped and fell. She did not get hurt.

Amor Chiquito was being a bit dramatic and asked for help. I said “You are ok. Come see mommy. I will give you a hug.” After the hug, I asked “Do you know why you fell?” She said “no.” I said “You spilled soapy water on the floor. We need to clean it up.” She said she was afraid of falling. I told her she would be safe, that I would stand near her, but that she needed to help clean up. She cautiously walked over and help clean up.

I love Love and Logic! Geeky Entrepreneur and I were listening to the cd’s last weekend to refresh our memories. One of the things the book emphasizes the most is to take any misbehavior and turn it into a learning experience. They suggest that you show your child empathy and that you then deliver the consequence. They say, over and over again, to “let the consequences do the teaching.” No need for screaming. No need for passive-aggressiveness. No need to bark orders 24/7. It really does make a huge difference!

Time for night night… Here is to hoping that she naps today. She did not nap yesterday. Life gets very interesting when she does not nap!