Yes Dad, We Do...

Need a personal invitation that is. My Dad used to get so frustrated when he or my Mom would holler or call for us kids to come together as a group for dinner or family prayer or whatever it may have been. It never failed that one or more of us refused to respond to  "Hey everyone in here!" or  "Come to dinner....." He would get really frustrated his voice would grow louder as he would try several times at different octaves to get us come together as group. There were ten of us. He would also give group commands like, "See this candy, you all had better stay out." How about this one? " It"s time to clean up, everybody pitch in." Were you the kid that took off when your parents gave a group command? I should have been, I hated getting in trouble, so I stuck around. What I hated more was my Dad saying to me or one of my siblings  "DO YOU NEED A PERSONAL INVITATION?" Hated it.... By the time he got to this parental catch phrase he was usually pretty frustrated and angry. I swore that was one of "those" sayings I would not use. I almost did it. I almost became my Father in an instant last night, YIKES.....almost said it! ( I Love my Dad, just not this parental phrase or how it was used.)  Last nght as I was almost to the point of just begging my kids to sit still and read their books just like we do every night while we are waiting for the ones who can not get into thier PJ's themselves to be helped by Mom or Dad. My kids would not listen, it became a wrestling, gymnastics, and dance party all in one. The noise level was insane. I said repeatedly.   "Everyone who is ready for bed sit on the couch and read books until we are ready for FHE."  NO ONE listened and just as my frustrstion level was about to take over. My tone rising with each request, just like My Dad. Just as that "phrase" was about to leave my mouth I realized,  yes Dad, we did.....We did, and so do my kids. A personal invitation works best. It takes just as much energy to look your kids in the eyes individualy and help them obey as it does to shout group requests they are not listening to, over and over again. I went to each kid and gave them a personal invitation to sit their cute tushy's down with a book and wait quietly till we were all in the room. I was amazed at the response. I shouldn't be amazed!  I should have wised up long before now. They were tuned into me and what I needed from them at the moment, because I was using their names and looking them in the eye. I am sure I have not shouted my last group request, but you can be sure I have learned a valuable lesson and instead of asking if they need a personal invitation I will use my energy giving them one instead of giving into all that frustratiion and anger that comes from being ignored over and over again.
( not slamming my Dad at all, I love him!)