We have a small home. 950 square feet (with a basement) is probably a LOT to many who live anywhere other than the US, but for 8 people and a bike mechanic, it is small. We have three rooms upstairs, one is a library; books computers and lots of us work here. One small bedroom holds two of the girls and another holds three on account of a lovely bunk bed. So there are several formative stories here. One is the dynamics of the sibling's, the other is trusting in time and space. Another, attached to the differences in personality; how do we resolve conflict as a community, accepting the differences and adjusting to this great gift of originality that the individual imago Dei is. This last is VERY big. I really want my girls to walk out of the house knowing how to do this.
Several days ago, my Karen informed me that she was feeling bad for her 6 year old sister because her roommate was stressed and my 6 y.o. wasn't getting what she needed to rest at night the way a six year old should. I agreed. Dave and I have never been parents with children who have an early bedtime. Dave works retail getting home later, the girls have never needed to get up for school so I like them to be up when Dave is available. But now, the "social-historic Sphere is different", We have three in college, and Maleny needs sleep and so do they. So we decide to shuffle rooms to change the dynamics.
Did I mention that we just did this in April when our floors were refinished. With that in mind one 12 year old did not like the prospect of going back into her old room. Clara was confused and tells me she wants to get this figured out, she took "Stress Management", but I think she should have taken it with Maleny. ; ) Next semester she will be taking Pych. 101. I am sure they will not be covering van Kaamian "phasic formation". We decided it was best if Cecilia, the 12, shared the bedroom with Karen, the 20. Clara, wanting to learn how to handle her stress and 6 year old sister at the same time, will be in a room with Dana, who works with children, of both ages, and who is not only good at it, she gets paid for it.
MALENY GETS A BUNK BED!!! Oh how we did not know how much this child needed to be trusted with something like a bunk bed, top bunk! I told her in order to get the bunkbed, she must sign a contract that stated she would follow a bed time. She needed to begin getting ready for bed around 8:00 and be in bed at 8:30. Any arguments would put her on the bottom bunk. She has been so happy with her new arrangement. It has been several days and the first day she was in heaven, to the irritation of Cecilia. Differentiation/Integration..change, for ever change, such is life.
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