The first days off school were days of bickering. The kids complain during the school year of not having enough free time; then, when they hit the motherlode of free time in June, they squander it arguing.
I prayed for peace in my household.
The library reading program was the answer to my prayer. Not only do my kids love reading, they love getting rewarded for something they consider normal behavior, ie, reading. The day we signed up for the library reading program was the day Huckle and Sally switched from 3 hours per day bickering to 3 hours per day with book glued to their faces.
Peace. Quiet. In fact, sometimes it's hard to get them unstuck from their books. Both are devouring Hardy Boys mysteries. Sally started by reading the first chapter and then skipping to the end. Then, after seeing the formula long enough, she realized she can handle the inevitable kidnappings and thefts. It's all part of the genre. So now she plows straight through them., like her play-by-the-rules brother who would never peek at the ending.
A week into the reading program was enough to restore balance in their time. They are no longer racing through books to earn little bouncy balls and other toys. But they also are bickering less, as if they've remembered how to spend their lazy summers and even -- sometimes -- enjoy each other's company. This morning they started a board game and made it a full hour without fighting.
Maybe summer wouldn't be as argument-filled as it began. Joy!
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