As I was pondering gratitude this morning, I thought about when kids act ungrateful (at least, my kids, and others I have observed; maybe all kids don't do this). For example: You've worked hard to prepare dinner, and when you put it in front of your child, the first thing out of his mouth is, "Yuck," or, "You forgot..." or some other observation of something you did "wrong" or that isn't to his liking. Then you get get mad, and arguing ensues and you send him to his room without dinner, and nobody is happy (again, maybe this is just our house).
I got to wondering if maybe that is something that is learned. After all, Beeper is, in general, a fairly polite kid. I wonder how many times he has done something, and instead of showing genuine thanks and leaving it at that, I nitpick, I point out mistakes or things he did wrong or things he could have done better.
Maybe he just figures that that's the way it is supposed be. How else can anyone ever learn to do things right, if we don't all nitpick each other to death?
It's something to think about, anyway.
3 comments:
Praise the things they do correctly then let the rest fall to the wayside? Unless it's important to point it out. Many times what we're nitpicking might be our perception of how they should have done it, not necessarily THE right way, but one right way of many. ...or something like that? I think you're doing great(0:
Great points. I know that I am sometimes picky when I should just be happy for what they did. It is really easy to find faults with children when you have adult standards for them to meet.
great thought! my house sounds the same.
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