The lion, the giraffe and the dog
When one of my children misbehaved, I rarely scolded or punished. I told a story instead.
I asked, “Which animal do you want today?” They would call out, “A lion! A giraffe! And a dog!” Then I made up a story with all three.
The giraffe and the dog were best friends. They grew up together, went to school together and played together every day. The lion wanted so much to be their friend, but he looked fierce, and everyone knew what lions were like. So the two friends kept far away from him, and the lion was very sad.
One day the dog got his leg stuck between some logs in the woods, and he couldn’t pull it free. The giraffe was frightened. When the lion came walking toward them, both of them were sure he would hurt them. But the lion was strong enough to push the logs aside. He lifted the dog onto his back and carried him all the way home.
Then I asked my children, “What do you think the giraffe and the dog learned?” They learned that we shouldn’t judge people by how they look, or by what others say. We should give everyone a chance to be our friend.
“People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
Many of my stories came from the Bible, but this is how I taught the lessons: with a story, not a scolding. Love did most of the work. One of my children had a strong nature and used to break toys. Today he takes better care of his things than anyone else in the house.
Try this at home
The next time your little one needs correcting, wait until things are calm, then ask: “Which animal do you want in tonight’s story?” Let the story do the teaching, and finish with one question: “What did they learn?”
This story is from my upcoming book, The Sanctuary of Home.