My oldest daughter has a habit of pushing the limit - just like any kid. When I tell her not to do something, she says, "What about this?"

Yesterday when we were leaving the house for a day trip, I was carrying an ice chest and she was carrying my drink. She was putting toys down in my drink. I said, "Don't put stuff in my drink."

She said, "What about putting it just inside the hole?" And she said, "What about just on the lid?"

I just picked up the ice chest and stormed out to the car.

We had fun during the day and got home late - about 9:30pm. We got the kids ready for bed and, for some reason, had to put the ladder for the bunk beds back in place. She was going to put it at the end of the bed instead of the slot made for it. I said, "It won't work there," but she kept trying.

I grabbed the ladder and put it where it was supposed to be. I had to move something on the floor, and when I let go of the ladder, she grabbed it and started pulling it. I got mad and grabbed the ladder, putting it in the kitchen on my way to my shower.

She came back, crying, and telling me she wasn't doing anything, but I know what I saw. I said, "You defied me by trying to put the ladder where I told you not to, and now you lie to me saying you didn't. Good night." So, I got in the shower and went to bed.

I didn't sleep well last night. No dreams, but I just didn't feel right. I didn't forgive my daughter for lying to me and defying me. I kept getting the feeling (Holy Spirit talking to me, I guess) that I should forgive her, but I kept saying, "She needs to understand that I mean what I say. If I pretend like it didn't happen, she will think there is nothing wrong with what she did."

That nagged on me all night long. I've done stuff that's wrong, probably even unforgivable in human terms. God has forgiven me for all of it and granted me His peace. Through Him, I've been given freedom from a multitude of serious problems. Yet I refuse to forgive my own daughter for this one infraction. Why, then should He forgive me?

It's still early, but that's the first thing I'm going to do when she wakes up. I'm going to hold her and say, "I forgive you, honey. When I sent you to bed without clearing up our problems, I did much worse than anything you did to make me angry. Please forgive me for that."

I've got about ten minutes.

wow....all I can say is :amen:, Clay! :thumbsup:

Update:
I forgave Nichole as described above. But Sunday was one of those days when it seems like everything was going wrong. And, when I lost my temper 'cuz some folks had a moving van parked all the way across the street, my darling little girl called me on it.

"Daddy, I think those people were moving back there. You shouldn't have gotten mad at them."

I argued and tried to defend my position. Then I repented and said, "You're right. I'm wrong."

She smiled. And the day started to get better.

Who's more mature? The seven-year-old or her daddy?

I hear ya Clay....sometimes Andie sees me getting angry/frustrated, & she tells me to "take a deep breath" or "count to 10"..... :unsure:

Boy howdy I hate when Kat shows me a thin er to.... the other day, over a .. erm... a... uh... mishap? wit a pack of cheese she proceeded to tell me how I should not act this way an it's not a good thin an I need to make er happy by cleanin up the mess etc..... I tell you, if she was 3 foot taller an had a talley whacker I'd laid er out on the floor er through a wall, of course it's not what we want to hear in times like that, but how sad is it honestly, how right are they an how wrong are we?

Kid's only 4 an acts more like an adult then I do.

Yep, my kids have told me to take a :chill:

Naturally, I remind them that it's disrespectful for them to say that to mommy....like a reflex and I say it so fast....then I stop and think that they WERE right! Dumb mommy! Dumb! :doh: