Rainbows to Thunder Storms

While having a heart to heart discussion with my son (he’s 7) about how we take care of items of value he said something I would never have thought of. Here’s the story:

Nintendo DS game on the floor, dog starts to chew DS game. I get upset that the kids do not know how to take care of their toys and we aren’t talking about toys from the dollar store here. Those dang DS games are expensive! So I go into crazy mom mode and rant and rave about how I will never buy them anything again since they obviously do not know how to take care of the things we do buy them, etc…you know the drill. After I calmed myself down enough I went in to talk to him. I told him that I really do not like being upset with him about these things but I need him to understand that we work very hard to be able to afford special things for them and when they don’t take care of them it makes me upset and it hurts me. I went on to explain that he would have to work 12 weeks doing his chores to be able to buy a game, to which he responded with, “That’s a long time”. Then I go into details as to how it would make him feel if he worked really hard to buy me a gift and I left it on the table for the dog to get. Would he be sad, or mad with me? To which he replied, “Yes I would be mad at the dog and sad for you.” Good, I think to myself. I am finally getting to him. Went through the mad/sad feelings again and then he said:

“When you are happy it’s like seeing a rainbow in the sky, and when you are mad, it’s like seeing dark clouds and being in a thunderstorm”

I was very proud of him for replying with that. I wouldn’t have ever thought to compare the feelings of happiness to sadness/anger in that way but I told him that is exactly what it’s like and if he’d like to continue to see rainbows in the sky, he better pick up those dang toys! LOL Then we laughed and all was right with the world again.