Three Men and a Lady

Kent,

something happened for the first time yesterday. You revealed that you have a conscience inside that little heart of yous. You have experienced your fair share of punishments over the course of your short little life. All of the sorrow you have expressed during these times of discipline has been over the consequence you suffered, not over the behavior that constituted the chastising. But your heart is growing, and maturing, and becoming more sensitive to the moral and emotional consequences of your choices. Last night, you were punished because you threw a fit at bedtime. You screamed at the top of your lungs and with every ounce of strength your 35 lb body could muster. After I punished you, I went to my bedroom to finish ironing all of our Sunday clothes. All of the sudden, I could a hear a faint whisper in the living room. I looked up to see you sheepishly staring at me. You humbly replied, 'I'm sorry for screaming at bedtime Mommy." I ran to you, scooped you up in my arms, and held you. I praised you for the apology, and I knew in my heart that after you were punished and were laying in bed, your conscience kicked in. You felt bad for your behavior, and you needed to make things right.

This is such a huge step in your life, and after almost 4 years of parenting you, I think the message is starting to kick in! It was such a reward to receive an unwarranted apology from your truly repentant heart.