Discipline

I'm well aware that one day (probably sooner rather than later), our sweet little Libby will suddenly have some "not so sweet" moments. When that time comes, I guess Tom and I will need to put on our "disciplinarian" hats and lay down the law. Fortunately for us, we have two little four-legged children who have given us some practice in this regard. Not-so-fortunately, our experiences with Bauer and Scarlet have shed light on some gaping holes in the Family Discipline Strategy.

After purchasing our couch, we instituted a strict "no dogs on the furniture" rule. I was tired of laying in a mess of dog hair and tired of breaking out the vacuum every other hour. As is in most families, our "first born" (Bauer) plays it safe and follows the rule. Our "second child" (Scarlet) tends to push the envelope. Exhibit A:


This happens just about every time I, say, walk into the kitchen. . Does she care that I yell at her? Nope. Does she care that she is BREAKING A HOUSE RULE? Nope. So, being the strict, no-nonsense matriarch that I am, what do I do to handle this situation? Just about nothing. I got tired of constantly telling her to "get down," so I decided the best course of action was to ignore her (or take pictures of her, because--Did you SEE how cute she looks?). Effective, I know.

Tom's strategy to deal with the issue, though, is quite different. He employs techniques such as yelling at her through the baby monitor when we are upstairs and he suspects she has snuggled up on a throw pillow. He would gladly stand at the couch for hours and pull her off every time she crawls back up, just because of the the principle of the thing. Scarlet knows this and therefore cowers in fear every time he catches her sprawled out on the upholstery.

Lessons we have learned from this experience: Tom is a better disciplinarian. Sarah is a nicer person. One day, I imagine we will have this discipline thing down pat. And on that day, we will enjoy relaxing on a dog-hair-free couch. Until then, I will just keep vacuuming.