Good thinking

Now, remember that brand new schleich horse Sabina was playing with in the man made creek yesterday? Well she's got a couple of others, but, it's not enough!! So she's been begging me for more schleich horses. I'm a tough mum, and said "no".

Today, I was away for the entire morning at Adult Riding Club. When I returned, Sabina's play room was spotlessly clean. I marvelled at the cleanliness, realising that either Sabina or Papa are behind this, and in either case praise is a good idea.

"Mama", Sabina spoke up first. "I cleaned the playroom!", she said excited. "Papa helped", she added, realising that Papa was listening in the kitchen. "But", she continued, "he didn't want to help at first. It was too hard for me to clean it all up. So I told him he must help me, and he did. And now it's beautiful." She danced across the room.

I gazed over at Papa. He nodded.

"Well Sabina, I am very impressed", I said. "You realised the problem was too big for you to handle, you asked for help, and when you were refused help, you didn't give up. Well done. That, my dear, is called thinking."

The little girl was beaming.

"I think you can have a reward for that - a schleich horse", I smiled.

The hands went up in the air. "Yay!", cheered Sabina, jumping up and down on the spot.

"Do you know why you're getting the horse?", I asked. I've got to be sure the right message is sinking in.

"Because the job was too big, and I asked for help, and when Papa said no, I didn't give up", she re-iterated perfectly.

"That's right", I said, triumphant that the right lesson had sunken in.

"Mama", Sabina gazed at me, "it's such a big achievement, that perhaps I deserve two horses?"

"No! Don't push your luck!", I laughed. "But, Sabina, I love the way you think!"