Please Understand Me II |
It's also impossible to keep from making people unhappy, while also adequately disciplining sometimes argumentative or distracted children. In the attempt to keep the peace between each child and myself, I was allowing some behaviors to get out of hand, resulting in an unpeaceful home, in general, with less respect among the members, and less cooperation with rules, chores, etc.
Thankfully, a new interest around our home and amongst most of the children opened my eyes to a new approach. The kids recently learned and developed a strong passion for soccer. They discuss the play, the skills, the rules...and the penalties. Since soccer has discipline they apparently respect, I decided to take a cue from that activity and make sporting discipline of our lives in the home.
Soccer Referee Kit Maybe I need the whistle, too! |
I do think having an actual set of cards would help me. After a few weeks, I find myself too readily slipping back into coercion and multiple reminders. Flashing a card will eliminate the need for discussion, and will help limit my temptation to 'soften the blow' with warnings, when it's time for action instead.
Red Cards – 3 days no computer, limited activities
1. Serious foul play (a violent foul) – Blatant disobedience
2. Violent conduct (any act of physical violence)
3. Spitting at anyone – Disrespecting parents
4. A deliberate handling offense to deny an obvious goal-scoring opportunity by any player other than a goalkeeper in his own penalty area – Not doing a job so others are kept from doing theirs.
5. Committing an offence that denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity (informally known as a professional foul) Preventing someone from being successful at a task or accomplishment
6. Using offensive, insulting or abusive language or gestures, including but not limited to certain distasteful words, but also name-calling, trash-talking, mean sarcasm directed at person/people Anything that’s anti- Ephesians 4: 29
7. Receiving a second caution (yellow card) in one game – For one instance or one day. Also, forgetting card restrictions.
Yellow Cards - 1 day no computer and limited activities
8. Unsporting behaviour – Anti family support statements or behavior
9. Dissent by word or action – Being asked more than once to do a job
10. Persistently infringing the laws of the game – Questioning, arguing
11. Delaying the restart of play – Skipping or delaying chores
12. Failing to respect the required distance of a corner kick or free kick – Making more work for others
13. Entering or re-entering the field of play without the referee’s permission – Forgetting rules/penalties regarding TV and computer use the first time
14. Deliberately leaving the field of play without the referee’s permission – Not finishing a task as assigned, or wandering away in the midst of a job