ONE MARBLE AT A TIME

Remember that one time when you swore you'd never grow up to be one of those parents who used "Because I said so" as a defense for discipline? Remember that time not too long ago when you said those exact words to your kids thirty-seven times in one day? Yeah. Me, too. Discipline for me is draining. When I tell you not to use my face lotion to make slime in your play kitchen, I don't want to explain why Mama needs to diminish her fine lines and wrinkles. JUST DROP THE LOTION AND RUN FOR YOUR LIFE, KID!

So about a year ago, I realized that I was using the same lines over and over again when disciplining. Not only that, I would often respond with poor explanations, and at times-wait for it-sarcasm.