Words?

One of the one word questions I ask my children fairly often is "Words?" I am at a point in parenting where my kids truly ALL understand the magnitude of "words". Sometimes I ask when simply expecting a please or thank you. Sometimes when expecting more.

I have one dear daughter who is lacking on the words right now. Scott tried to give her the benefit of the doubt (meaning perhaps she did not know what words to use?)....not the issue.

My Bella is as smart as they come (truly). She knows "words" better than about anyone (some words I am ever so grateful the other children do not know)! For the moment she has had the privilege of playing softball removed from her. Why? Mostly for disrespectful lying eye-rolling door slamming feet stomping issues. Today the girls (two teams of them) have practice. Bella assumed since she has been behaving better (and she has) that she was playing again. One of the biggest issues with Bella is a little word that I also use fairly often called "communication". I talked to Bella and asked why she thought she was going to practice? She said, "Because we have it." I talked a while about the "words" that she needed to share with me before that could happen. Nope. Not gonna happen. My quest for "words" ended in a round of disrespectful eye-rolling door slamming feet stomping huffing. I loaded her up and she road with me to drop off the two girls at their respective practices.

As we got out at the house I stopped her in the yard (out of "ears" way). I simply said, "TWO things must happen for you to play ball, and they must happen between now and next practice. Your words must be spoken to me and the actions (the good behaviors) HAVE to be there too...I will accept neither without the other!"

We will see.