Coaching a 2 Year Old? And Adult Relationships and Restorative Justice
My young grandson Booker is exceptionally verbal. Recently I overheard him trying to reason with his dad saying, "But it IS appropriate."
His parents are doing more than teaching him to talk, they are teaching him to think for himself. Okay, truth be told he was about a week from being 3 when this all happened, but still - a two-year saying "appropriate" and knowing what it means is pretty entertaining.
But there's more - I have to share this funny, and insightful, story.
On our last visit, Booker was being a kid and in some sort of mood. His parents gave him some time to cool off and then his dad asked him, "Okay so what happened?" and he said in a sheepish voice, "I had an attitude."
"And who did that hurt?"
"Everyone..."
And here's the great part. "What do you need to fix it?"
Of course, we're all expecting him to say he needs to apologize, but he takes a few ponderous moments and says, "I think we're going to need tape and a screwdriver."
I had to look away not to laugh. (This one may grow up to be quite a comedian!)
But the point is that at his very young age, his parents are:
- teaching him to identify problems,
- recognize the consequences of his actions, and
- determine the right next steps to move forward
It may help that his mom has some formal training in restorative justice, but what a foundation they are laying in this little life and mind!
Don't worry, his dad helped him with options and he chose wisely.
But what about us? What can we learn from this?
How about if we dialogue with our Father when we are out of sorts with the people around us?
Can we acknowledge our humanity and admit we "had an attitude"?
It's not easy, but can we ask God to show us who we may have hurt, and to give us the courage to own up to our part and apologize?
I'm no expert in Restorative Justice, but I think the final step is to work out a restitution plan. In Booker's case, an acknowledgment and apology were quite enough, but what about us in our adult relationships?
God wants to meet us in every moment of our lives. He wants to guide us in right pathways. The tricky part is that we need to listen. We need to walk in the light He is shining.
â€â€1 John‬ â€2‬:â€27‬ â€NCV‬‬ says, “Christ gave you a special gift that is still in you, so you do not need any other teacher. His gift teaches you about everything, and it is true, not false. So continue to live in Christ, as his gift taught you.”
Good coaching, and good parenting, pull from within what God's Spirit is teaching. He is always working to align us with Right, with connection with Him and right relationship with each other.
Oh God, we need You! Be our good parent, be our Father and:
- teach us to identify problems
- recognize the consequences of our actions, and
- determine the right next steps to move forward
And help us not to take life too seriously, a lot CAN be accomplished with tape and a screwdriver!