We had a humorous life illustration happen to us today at church. We found evidence that our children really do listen, sometimes closer than we think.
Background:
Annie has recently been very good about apologizing. However, it is often that she misbehaves and then immediately after she is caught she will begin saying "I'm sorry" with apparent sincerity. It has become our habit to emphasize that sometimes "sorry just doesn't cut it." Our intent is that she think before she acts and is not under the impression that anything goes as long as you are willing to apologize.
Illustration:
Today at church, Annie was playing before the service with a young boy named Stone. I don't know exactly what was going on, but in the process Annie's finger got slightly mashed in a door. As the story is recounted to me, Annie says that Stone apologized immediately and admits it was an accident. However, at the time, it did not prevent Annie from coming to her mother in tears seeking sympathy and saying, "Stone said he was sorry, but sorry doesn't cut it."
It was at this point that we had to explain that sometimes, "sorry does cut it."
