My husband is trying very hard to be more attentive to the disciplinary needs that arise when he is home. It's difficult for him since he has this incredible skill of blocking out everything that is unpleasant. : ) That helps him to always have a happy countenance. Afterall, ignorance is bliss! We laugh about this together often. Sometimes I cry or whine about it because I, on the other hand, can hear everything.
Last night, he and I were enjoying some quiet time in the den when a fight broke out in one of the bedrooms between a son and daughter of ours. This particular son and daughter are like oil and water. There is always very loud sqealing and yelling involved when they disagree.
The new and improved husband called out to the son and asked him to come and sit in front of us on the coffee table. Without asking what was happening in the back of the house, he informed our son that he should never under any circumstances enter the girls' room ever again. He reiterated it several times very authoritatively and even our older two daughters raised their eyebrows at Dad's new firm approach. I'm sure they were hoping this would be the solution to the noisy problem we are enduring everyday between these two children. The son was asked if he understood his new instructions, which he did, and as he left the den, the son quitely said, "but I was in your room"!!! HA HA HA HA HA!
Needless to say, atleast three of us nearly peed in our pants laughing at the predicament that my husband was in. He blew it off and sent the son on his way to get ready for bed without aggravating the daughter any further. But we all continued to roll in laughter, including my husband. I should clarify that we weren't mocking him or discouraging him at all. We were laughing with him. And it was a hoot! Even an hour later we got a healthy belly laugh remembering his attempt at stern parenting. If only it were so easy.
