Listening

Today's gift is listening.

Listening in general in my house seems to be the hardest thing for my kids to "get".  There are many days when I wonder if I am the only one who has children who do not listen....what am I doing wrong.....

When my daughter with special needs doesn't listen to me....I honestly think it is because she does not want to and she knows she can get away with it.  If I tell her not to do something and she still wants to do it, she will look at me with a smile....laugh....and then do it.  Tell me she didn't do this on purpose!

Sometimes I wonder if my other two children realize this and so they think they can do the same thing.

Today, my daughter with special needs, had incredible listening skills today.  Wow!  She was right on to everything I asked of her.

Starting this morning, I asked her to wait for me by the stairs so I could run back into our bedroom to get something and she did.  Usually she would have used this chance to go swipe something out of someones room.  Then this morning she waited patiently after breakfast while I finished getting her book-bag packed and it was time to leave.

I think her listening skills were on all day at school too....at least her school notes didn't indicate otherwise ; )

Then from the moment she came home to the moment she went to bed, she just did everything asked of her.  Including.....calming down....when a behavior was starting to brew.  Luckily between her good listening and the body soc for some pressure....the behavior was diverted!

Interestingly enough....her excellent listening skills today were not the only excellent listening skills, all my kids listened to me today!  Were they following in the steps of their big sister?  I like to think so, as this hardly ever happens.  And I have to say it is a breath of fresh air to have days like today.

Days where I feel like this is how it is "supposed" to be....

Days where I feel like this is the "norm"....

Days I wish there were more of....

Since days like these are not my typical days with all my children,  I appreciate them more...and definitely do not take them for granted.  In fact, I was thanking all my children all night for the wonderful day of listening...from all of them.

Here are two quotes for today....

Every good conversation starts with good listening- Author Unknown

Children have never been good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them- James A. Baldwin