October 14, 2007

• Enough is Enough......

  I had a interesting conversation earlier this evening.  Having a large family of children, one of the events that takes place in each of my childrens' lives is the first event of rebellion/justice/revenge against a sibling who is making their life miserable.  I witnessed a few of them and heard about others.  My oldest got his comeuppance when his sister finally had enough of his taking things from her and knocking her down.  He would always tell me that she tripped or lost her balance and since she was not able to talk enough to tell me the truth of what was happening, I would just have to keep a closer eye on them.  I did tell him though that I had a feeling that he had something to do with her crying since there was a note of anger in her cries.  I also told him that one day she would be able to talk and be able to defend herself from him.  He did not seem to concerned.  When the day of reckoning came, I realized that I had misspoke......she did not need to speak since she took matters in her own hand.  While preparing dinner, I heard her cries of anger and on checking it out, my son told me that she had tripped.  When he started speaking, my daughter took off for her bedroom and upon returning, came up behind him holding something behind her back.  As he finished his story, she pulled back her arm and clocked him upside his head with a large metal serving spoon.  With vengence in his eyes, he said "Mom!!!".   I reminded him of my warnings to him about pushing his sister too far and it having consequences.  He didn't like it but he learned a lesson on pushing siblings too far.   If nothing else, he had to change his strategy and be more subtle in his dealing with his sister.  My two youngest daughters double teamed their second to the oldest brother.  He was a big kid and when he was about 10 which would make one sister about 6 and the other sister about 4.  I don't even remember now how it all started.....just the cries for "Help, Mom!"  and coming into the livingroom.  There in all his glory was my son on his back with the youngest sister with both her clenched hands full of his hair anchoring him to the floor while the 6 year old, who was not a light weight, sitting on his hips and pounding him with her fists.  From the girls' story.....they had enough of him and planned it out to teach him a lesson....which they did.  My Husband and I were with another couple this evening and they were telling us about some of the incidents that their children had done to end the sibling hierarchy of power.  What struck me as odd but I am definitely grateful that it worked this way, was that it only took one incidence of rebellion/justice/revenge for the older siblings to change their approach and tactics in my family.  I do not know if it was the result of the way I handled the manner or if my kids are just smart enough to make the adjustments necessary or a combination of both. 

  • 3:30 am
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