Sibling Rivalry...

Edited: I made this post last night, and set it to post this morning.

We had a particularly bad day yesterday around here.

This morning, they were all peaches and cream.

Troy even said "wow, sissy is in a good mood".

When Tucker woke up, Troy said "Wow, Bubba is in a good mood too!"

So, it's been a good day.

Still doing what was planned though...

I can look at this picture and see the tension.

My kids, they do not really get along.

It breaks my heart.

The teens are all snippy with the little one.

If they aren't being snippy with him, they are "playing" with him...

(which is just another word for torturing him, I promise you this.)

Tickling him...

Holding him down when he wants to leave...

Taking the remote and changing something he is watching...

Picking him up and carrying him when he doesn't want to be held...

You know, stuff like that.

They do not speak kindly to one another very often, and they are constantly trying to find a way to get under one another's skin.

They love to push each other's "buttons".

So, I am going to enact a system of consequences for being "ugly".

We will have a family meeting and talk about these problems,

and the reason for the consequences. 

The consequences will be kept in a jar and as they "act up", they will have to pull one out and do it. 

I know any of them would fight to the death for another one of them, if need be.

I don't understand this rivalry thing, I never experienced it.

We will also be working diligently at character training to get their hearts "right" again.

Without their hearts being right,

nothing will change.