"How do you feel when folks are mean to you?" I asked. It was one of those rare "teachable moments." My five year old grandson and I were sitting on the porch swing, enjoying a warm spring day. I had his undivided attention (or so I thought), so I seized the opportunity to discuss a subject I'd been wanting to bring up at just the right instance.
"I don't like it," was his predictable reply — just what I'd hoped he would say. I explained that others feel that same way when he's unkind to them.
To my delight, he seemed to be listening for a change. He pursed his lips and stared at me in silence with wide eyes.
"whether you don't share your toys with other boys, they will feel sad," I continued. Cobi presented to concentrate on my words, ruminating by them like a cow chewing its cud.
"And whether you don't take turns on the swing, other kids might not want to play with you." He squinted his eyes, wrinkled his brow, and scratched his head. I knew he was soaking up my wisdom like a sponge. I was thrilled that he didn't reply with the usual arguments like, "But graaaaaaama, when I tripped Robert, he didn't get hurt, " or "Haley likes it when I take her ball."
Pleased with myself and the way my lecture was going, I summed it up with the golden rule. "We need to treat other humans the same way we like to be treated," I explained. "That way, things will go more smoothly and everyone will be happier." Satisfied that I had conveyed that crucial lesson to him, and that he'd taken it so well, I concluded my discourse by asking whether he had any questions.
"Yeah," he replied enthusiastically. "Why don't bugs have ears, and do they ever sneeze?"
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