GO AHEAD, TATTLE; MAKE MY DAY!
If you have ever raised or worked with children you can identify with what I am about to talk about.
For over twenty two years I ran a private home daycare and I have yet to discover something that can bring a child more pleasure than the opportunity to ‘tattle’ or tell on another’s bad behaviour!
If ever I was frustrated in my work it had a lot to do with the nasty habit of tattling!
One year as summer was approaching I realized that if I was to retain my sanity throughout the two months of vacation from school, I would have to come up with a very creative solution to this challenge. As I found myself doing on a regular basis, I began to pray for wisdom. The children in my home on any given day and ALL day would range from the age of one to eleven or twelve.
God, faithful as always brought an idea to my mind which worked wonderfully for the next several years when I closed shop and retired from that line of work.
One day near the end of June I explained to them as they sat quietly munching their afternoon snack.
‘Summer is coming’, I said, ‘and I want you all to know that this year I am going to allow all the tattling you would like without getting after you!’ As expected cheers went up all around the table.
I went on to assure them there was just one little catch; they could only ‘tattle’ good things about each other, kind words spoken to another child or deeds done by way of help or encouragement.
The reward would be ‘kid kash’ that they could then exchange for a small gift or toy in a store set up at the end of July and again in August. Also the child who tattled and the one they told on would both receive the same amount of play money. The items for sale would have various price values placed on them and they would choose based on how much kash they had earned throughout the month.
Of course the toddlers had no idea what was going on but the older children were to tattle on them if they did something cute! This, I knew, would move the focus from looking for the negative to trying to see good, positive things in each other.
It worked like a charm, making the long summer days so much more pleasant and problem free. I was amazed at how children are so quick to adapt from negative learned behaviour to a more positive focus with just a little encouragement.
In His word God has given His children exhortation to think about ‘whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy,’ Philippians 4:8. As we obey Him in this we will find our focus turning from criticizing and judging to encouraging; 1 Thessalonians 5:11, ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ And right there in the way the verse ends is my ‘builder upper’! The apostle Paul, who is writing this is watching his followers and acknowledges the fact that they are already doing the right thing.
My prayer for you and myself as well is that we will take our focus off the negativity that surrounds us so rampantly and look for the good in others. In so doing we will encourage them and provoke them to more good deeds!
So, go ahead, tattle on me all you want; it will only make me a more positive servant of Jesus Christ, encouraging others I meet on the way to the party!
For over twenty two years I ran a private home daycare and I have yet to discover something that can bring a child more pleasure than the opportunity to ‘tattle’ or tell on another’s bad behaviour!
If ever I was frustrated in my work it had a lot to do with the nasty habit of tattling!
One year as summer was approaching I realized that if I was to retain my sanity throughout the two months of vacation from school, I would have to come up with a very creative solution to this challenge. As I found myself doing on a regular basis, I began to pray for wisdom. The children in my home on any given day and ALL day would range from the age of one to eleven or twelve.
God, faithful as always brought an idea to my mind which worked wonderfully for the next several years when I closed shop and retired from that line of work.
One day near the end of June I explained to them as they sat quietly munching their afternoon snack.
‘Summer is coming’, I said, ‘and I want you all to know that this year I am going to allow all the tattling you would like without getting after you!’ As expected cheers went up all around the table.
I went on to assure them there was just one little catch; they could only ‘tattle’ good things about each other, kind words spoken to another child or deeds done by way of help or encouragement.
The reward would be ‘kid kash’ that they could then exchange for a small gift or toy in a store set up at the end of July and again in August. Also the child who tattled and the one they told on would both receive the same amount of play money. The items for sale would have various price values placed on them and they would choose based on how much kash they had earned throughout the month.
Of course the toddlers had no idea what was going on but the older children were to tattle on them if they did something cute! This, I knew, would move the focus from looking for the negative to trying to see good, positive things in each other.
It worked like a charm, making the long summer days so much more pleasant and problem free. I was amazed at how children are so quick to adapt from negative learned behaviour to a more positive focus with just a little encouragement.
In His word God has given His children exhortation to think about ‘whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, excellent or praiseworthy,’ Philippians 4:8. As we obey Him in this we will find our focus turning from criticizing and judging to encouraging; 1 Thessalonians 5:11, ‘Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.’ And right there in the way the verse ends is my ‘builder upper’! The apostle Paul, who is writing this is watching his followers and acknowledges the fact that they are already doing the right thing.
My prayer for you and myself as well is that we will take our focus off the negativity that surrounds us so rampantly and look for the good in others. In so doing we will encourage them and provoke them to more good deeds!
So, go ahead, tattle on me all you want; it will only make me a more positive servant of Jesus Christ, encouraging others I meet on the way to the party!
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