Smile

We have a rule in our house, mainly for the children, "Obey: Right Away, All the Way, With a Happy Heart." 

This sign is posted in our laundry room - the location for most of the disipline that takes place in our home.  It's a nice visual reminder that I can point to when I'm talking to one of the children about how they didn't obey the first time, didn't complete what they were asked to do, and/or whined before or during whatever they were supposed to be doing.

One of the kids, Ben I think, asked me a couple of weeks ago why the heart was smiling in our sign.  I explained to him what I thought was fairly obvious and what I'm sure he would have uunderstood by this point, "The heart is smiling because he's happy.  He's not whining or arguing about what he's doing.  He has/is a happy heart."

I consider myself to be generally a happy person.  I'm not one that gets overly anxious about lifes' little things - at least, I'm not so much anymore.  I feel that my heart, in general, is happy doing life here with these littles.  But is it?  Or at least, does it show?

After Ben's little question about why the heart was smiling I started to make sure I smiled when I was interacting with the kids - even when they were frustrating me or plain old not following the sign.  I was so surprised to discover how unnatural it felt (now, don't get me wrong, I smile at the kids, hug them, etc., but somehow this was different).  I think maybe I saved my smiles for when they did something that was pleasing, when they gave me a card, or first thing in the morning.

I have found that when I smile at the kids when I'm talking to them, asking them to do something, or even trying to get them back on track that they comply quicker and more easily.  They find it easier to be happy too.  We still have lots of work to do on all of our attitudes around here, bad habits are hard to break, but just a simple smile on my face seems to help set the tone for them to smile too. 

Who would have thought?  Well, maybe it's obvious to others, I'm a little slow.  :)