Making it difficult

I like to sleep in. With six kids under age eight, it is a privilege rarely afforded me. However, I have noticed that since we hooked up the Wii, the children will pitter-patter downstairs without ever poking their heads in my room first thing in the morning. When the baby finally cries out for her early-morning nursing, the kids have already helped themselves to an hour or so of the Wii.

So we're locking it away.

I can't help myself. It's just too easy to let them enjoy video games while I sleep. I know it's not good for them. They know it's against the rules. But it's just too easy.

Now, whenever they want to play, they will have to come get me to unlock the closet and set it up for them. Life won't be as easy for me, but it will be better for my kids.

We also, at some point, unintentionally lost the remote control to our satellite and also to our television. (By lost, I mean one of our kids thought it would be funny to hide it in the trash can, and now it's gone forever.) It turned out to be a good thing. We can still operate the t.v., but it's so difficult that the children often come to me for help, at which time I can dictate what they watch and how long they watch--or if they watch at all.

My kids are young--too young, really, to deal with the temptations and choices that can change a person's life forever. But in the grown-up world--in our world--temptations are too easy. Pornography comes right to your computer, in the privacy of your home office. Flirting is acceptable, and "innocent" business lunches no longer frowned upon. Living with your boyfriend is expected, and babies before marriage are "in." Anger, lies, cheating, carousing--if it's too easy, we may just fall into it.

Make temptation difficult. Lock away the Wii, lose the remote controls. Cough up $99/year for a good Internet filter. Let your friends know you don't have lunch alone with someone of the opposite sex out of respect for your marriage. (Be sure that they will talk if you do!!) Refuse to hang out with people who engage in the kind of behavior you're hoping to avoid.

It won't be convenient, but it will be good for you.

Now I've got to go resolve some dispute I hear brewing around the t.v.

Training the baby

Baby Julia hit the 6-month mark a few days ago. She has been a delight her entire existence. The transition from five kids to six has been much easier than any other transition, in part, I think, because the other children are older and, therefore, less demanding.

In our house, at age 6 mo, we start "No Training." It's a terrible birthday present. I think I read about it in "To Train Up A Child" by the Pearls. I started today with Baby Julia Joy.

She is a very good student.

I took her to a room where we could be alone for five minutes. I handed her the cord from a lamp, which she immediately put in her mouth. I thumped her little hand (which broke my heart), said, "No," and took the cord from her. (I try to never yell the word, shout it, or even say it firmly. I want my children to understand that I shouldn't have to elevate my emotions for them to know that I mean what I say.)

Julia Joy didn't even cry. She did, however, reach for the cord again.

I let her grab it and put it in her mouth. Then I thumped her other hand and repeated the process. The child didn't cry until the sixth time I thumped her. Oh, it nearly sent me to tears!

But she stopped reaching for that cord.

The child stopped reaching for the cord. Incredible. I can't say that any of my other children actually learned to stop reaching for the cord within the first week of no training, much less the first five minutes. (I've got a 3-year-old son who STILL "reaches for the cord.")

I have high hopes for this child. ;-)

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a (probably naked) 3-year-old to chase down.

Solomon's wisdom to wives

I have been reading one chapter of Proverbs everyday since I started college. I have read the 18th chapter of Proverbs countless times in my life. (Okay, technically, someone could count them, but I certainly don't have the time to tally it up!) But I have never seen the correlation between two verses that I saw today. Don't miss this!

Verse 21 says: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Well, any girl who's lived through adolescence can attest to that.

Verse 22 says: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the LORD." And that's all well and good.

I've heard both these verses often throughout my decade of marriage.

But Solomon, the man with 700 wives and 300 concubines, wrote these two sentences together for a reason. His train of thought went from, "Your words can kill," to "Wow, I've got this concubine who's tongue is sharp as a knife," to "If you find a wife, you've found a good thing."

Solomon wants women to understand and heed that you can crush your husband with your words. Or you can refresh him.

Be life to your marriage. Mind your mouth.