Our choices have consequences.

Just in time for our post on family rules, comes a great example of enforcement of family rules!
Now, it's not like experiencing the consequences of our actions is anything new around here, so this is not the first time we've been through an afternoon like this, but I will say, I felt a little more comfortable enforcing this consequence, knowing that it was really a teaching tool.
An experience to contribute to the further installment of that self-correcting system.

Or...in the least...a way to get a big mess cleaned up.

The kids have gotten really excited lately about engaging in these "camping" or "babenture" (adventure) games lately. They figure out some sort of plot line, decide what kind of animals they are, establish who the "bad guys" are and set off to hide, run, find food, etc. ALL over the house.
Our house has always been so intimidating to me when it comes to the kids playing. It is just so many different levels with so much space for them to hide, get into things, and all the other things kids do when Mom can't see them. So, unless I wanted to spend my entire day on their agenda, following them into whichever room they pleased (and believe me, I spent many many days doing this), we mostly just stayed put in the playroom (and many many long days doing this).
But now, suddenly, the baby gates are gone, the kids are a bit more self-entertaining and self-reliant and them wandering to another room or, heaven forbid, another level of the house while I am in the middle of switching a load of laundry is not the end of the world.
The heavens be praised.
This is the summer they officially became kids and not babies. (Well, I would like to think I can still refer to Ben as a baby...and half the time I still call James "Baby"...and Bethany is still "Baby Girl" to JC...hmmm...well, perhaps we'll still hold on to that a little...)
Anyway, turns out they have a blast. And I get some stuff done. So, it's also become the summer of the second move-in. Cleaning out closets, straightening up and organizing rooms, (but yet still somehow not getting laundry put away or floors swept in a timely manner...)
I can't wait to re-cap all the wonderful things that have gotten done once they've gotten done.
But, oh my goodness, I am just getting so off-subject.
So, while they are having a blast and I am either watching them in an amused manner or getting something done, sometimes they get especially quiet. And, after a while, I suddenly get this feeling that something really really messy has happened.

Here's the most recent example of this:

Bethany found a bottle of baby powder from the days back when I didn't realize that the powder irritated Ben's skin and lungs.
This picture does not do justice to how much of this room was covered in this powder.
Ben's room, at that. The one who gets irritated by it.

I dreaded clean-up. Until I realized...hey, she's four. She has vacuumed before, she has wiped surfaces down before, she has helped with laundry before...all tasks required for clean-up. So, why should I do it all myself?
Enlist the guilty! That's the spirit!

Here she is, getting the bulk of what covered Ben's dresser.
(To be honest, she welcomed this. Which makes it seem less of a punishment. But once I thought about it, the point was not to punish her, it was to teach her that we follow through and repair damage we've done with our choices. I wasn't angry, she wasn't upset, but still we both got what we needed out of the situation.)
Ugh, you can see the powder in the air.

Then, she wiped down all the furniture to which it was clinging (ALL!)

Oh, also, she had ventured into her room and dispensed of a good amount all over her bed.
So, her sheets and comforter and Ben's sheets go into the washing machine!
Ben helps. I did too, a little.
Because we're a family.
And when one of us makes a mistake, even if it upsets us or irritates our lungs, we are still kind.

They are quite intrigued by the process.

Then, it was time to vacuum it all out of the carpet.

Ben appreciated this so much, he danced around while she did it.

With an air filter and some citrus/eucalyptus essential oil spray, his room was decent by bedtime.

Bethany is really getting old enough to grasp concepts like this. It helps that we can have a conversation about it. She was sad to see me disappointed, plus felt bad once she realized that she had not thought about the fact that what she did would affect her brother and his things. She was excited that the consequence for her actions involved handling the vacuum and getting to use the washing machine but after cleaning for a while, she wanted to quit. She learned, though, that it's not okay to abandon repairing the damage we do with less-than stellar choices. I think it was a really good learning opportunity.

I really thought the whole incident was kind of funny, definitely to be expected of someone who is still learning. But, I love that, even when I would rather them make different, more convenient, choices, I get to use little things like this as teaching opportunities. Accepting responsibility for our actions (which she did), working to correct what we've done (which she did), and learning from our mistakes (which I'm hoping she did) is all part of the process I hope my children go through time and time again while they are still young!
While the offenses involve baby powder, bubble solution, poking each other in the eye, and hiding the remote. So when bigger things come their way, they will think...do I really want to have to clean up after that kind of mess? or How will my loved ones be affected by my choices?

It's sometimes scary thinking of the kids growing up, getting older. I think about it more and more, knowing that, like I said, they're not really babies anymore. But it is also very exciting. They have so much potential. As long as I don't squash that potential, they are going to be unstoppable forces for good in this world. They are going to be so happy; they are going to be so strong. I can't wait to see it and I don't dare send them out to that future without the best foundation possible.
So, I'll keep handing out vacuums and wash cloths.
But maybe keep the baby powder, bubble solution and remote control on higher shelves.
(What? No need to ASK for trouble!)