The Searchlight of Insight

I am sure Carys is sorry...

Another Mean Daddy Award handed out today. Tess was taking a much-deserved nap and Sebastian was determined to make his debut into filmmaking. The kids and I planned on sneaking out to work on Sebastian’s project. (We have finished production and I now have the task of editing the video!) The boys’ room tidy, swimming suits packed for our final destination (the ABC for a swim and dinner) but the girls weren’t quite ready. Boys headed downstairs to play. I was trying to get the girls ready and asked them to clean up their room. Carys was walking around with a skipping rope. I asked her once to please put it away. She didn’t. Asked her a second time to please put it away. She didn’t. Asked her a third time to please put it away. She didn’t. After the third time I asked, I heard a yelp from the girls’ room followed by Sela howling. Upon investigation, I discovered Carys had smacked Sela with one of the handles at end of the skipping rope. By this point Carys was in tears. I was truly frustrated by this point and dangled dessert. I sat down with Carys explaining that she had to get a handle on her wicked side. I asked her if she knew what I was talking about and she nodded wildly in agreement. I explained that she'd lost the privilege of dessert for the day. Carys put the skipping rope away. The girls finished tidying their room and Sela presented me with the above note.  "Thank you, Sela, that is very kind of you," I replied, "and I am sure Carys is sorry, too."

Carys continued to cry for the next 10 – 15 minutes, including while we drove to the production site. Early on Sebastian asked what was wrong and Carys retorted, “NONE of your business.” When it came time for dessert all the kids had icelollies there was not a peep out of Carys. No tears, no complaining.

What do you think? Was I too mean? Would you have handled it differently?

"Fintry" by Carys

For those who don't know, Fintry is located
halfway up the west side of Lake Okanagan,
near Kelowna, BC, Canada.

"Feelings: happy, sad, angry" by Carys