Oh how my childhood sneaks into my parenting sometimes, even though I said it never would.
This picture means absolutely nothing to most of you.
My brothers and sisters are probably looking at it and laughing thinking ...
"oh my gosh that brings back alot of memories". It's pretty close isn't it?
Let me explain.
In the house I grew up in we had a tall wall in our entrance way of the house. Tall meaning about 10-15 ft. On that wall was, well when we first moved into the house the wall was covered in ugly flower wall paper. Then my parents changed it to something like the ivy picture above. Can you even imagine a wall that large covered in that. Keep in mind it was the late 70's and 80's. That probably still doesn't help, but that's what we had. Ok, back to the reason I am telling you this. When we were younger if we got in trouble or if my parents could not figure out who to blame for something that happened, we were instructed to Go count flowers. That meant you had to stand at that ugly tall wall and we could not move until someone fessed up or our time was up. No sitting, no turning around, no talking. We had to just stand there and look at the wall.
Fast forward 25 yrs...
Knowing how torturous counting flowers was, I do not use this as a punishment very often. Maybe a few times a year. Seeing as it is almost the end of this year I thought I would use one tonight. TJ and I went to the store and when I got home I noticed someone had been going through my dresser. Not a huge issue, but when I asked who did it the 3 youngest all said they didn't do it. I didn't want to play that game tonight so I told them all to stand against the wall. How lucky for them we don't have ugly flowers or green ivy, just boring beige walls. It was so funny listening to them stand there. It just brought back all those memories. They did the same things we did. At first you are mad at each other because nobody will fess up. Then you start laughing and cracking jokes. Then you start trying to convince someone to just say they did it just so everyone could get off the wall even if they didn't do it. You know, take one for the team kind of thing. Tonight I heard it all. I even had Samantha demand that she was not standing against the wall because she was not guilty. I even remember hearing that when I was little.
Oh the memories.
Well so I don't leave you hanging, I did find out who did it and of course their were tears because they felt bad for not telling the truth. I am not convinced that this system works all the time, but it sure does give me time to think about the situation while they are occupied.
Now for those of you who may want to try something like this, let me give you one piece of GOOD advise. If you can't get your kids to budge and they have been on the wall for awhile. If it is extremely hot or cold outside, sending them out to stare at the porch wall works wonders.
This picture means absolutely nothing to most of you.
My brothers and sisters are probably looking at it and laughing thinking ...
"oh my gosh that brings back alot of memories". It's pretty close isn't it?
Let me explain.
In the house I grew up in we had a tall wall in our entrance way of the house. Tall meaning about 10-15 ft. On that wall was, well when we first moved into the house the wall was covered in ugly flower wall paper. Then my parents changed it to something like the ivy picture above. Can you even imagine a wall that large covered in that. Keep in mind it was the late 70's and 80's. That probably still doesn't help, but that's what we had. Ok, back to the reason I am telling you this. When we were younger if we got in trouble or if my parents could not figure out who to blame for something that happened, we were instructed to Go count flowers. That meant you had to stand at that ugly tall wall and we could not move until someone fessed up or our time was up. No sitting, no turning around, no talking. We had to just stand there and look at the wall.
Fast forward 25 yrs...
Knowing how torturous counting flowers was, I do not use this as a punishment very often. Maybe a few times a year. Seeing as it is almost the end of this year I thought I would use one tonight. TJ and I went to the store and when I got home I noticed someone had been going through my dresser. Not a huge issue, but when I asked who did it the 3 youngest all said they didn't do it. I didn't want to play that game tonight so I told them all to stand against the wall. How lucky for them we don't have ugly flowers or green ivy, just boring beige walls. It was so funny listening to them stand there. It just brought back all those memories. They did the same things we did. At first you are mad at each other because nobody will fess up. Then you start laughing and cracking jokes. Then you start trying to convince someone to just say they did it just so everyone could get off the wall even if they didn't do it. You know, take one for the team kind of thing. Tonight I heard it all. I even had Samantha demand that she was not standing against the wall because she was not guilty. I even remember hearing that when I was little.
Oh the memories.
Well so I don't leave you hanging, I did find out who did it and of course their were tears because they felt bad for not telling the truth. I am not convinced that this system works all the time, but it sure does give me time to think about the situation while they are occupied.
Now for those of you who may want to try something like this, let me give you one piece of GOOD advise. If you can't get your kids to budge and they have been on the wall for awhile. If it is extremely hot or cold outside, sending them out to stare at the porch wall works wonders.
14 comments:
What a great idea! I wish I had thought of that a few years ago. Do you think I could get a 19 year old to do that? Probably not! We had a wall that went up the height of our split level house (four levels) that had a rust and green colored viney/flowery wallpaper on it. It was pretty bad too!
So, I am I losing it or something I do not remember any flowered wallpaper I believe the ivy wall was there from day one, I would never try to redoing that tall wall. I just ask dad and he said Ivy was there from the beginning, then came the paneling and then we took that down and painted it white. Maybe you're thinking of my rose wallpaper in my bedroom.
So that was your dad's doing but it always amazed me how you guys hung on for so long. Oh the memories.
I thought we had flower wallpaper when we first moved in. Maybe not I was only 8 so my memory on that may not be very clear. However the Ivy is perfectly clear.
Nice. I'll have to tell you my "skinny cow" story some time. It's similar. In my mind, who would ever confess. At least standing there, you are't in trouble.
it was flower first and then ivy. Thus the term, 'go count the flowers' not 'go count the ivy'. I might give this a go today. I forgot about it.
that's what I remember too.
It was Ivy with little white flowers, and the Ivy went in a diamond pattern like that in Heather's picture. The worst part about that was when you were stuck on the wall, and your friends would come over to see if you could play, and they would see you standing there. Dad wouldn't let us talk or anything, otherwise our time would start over. Our friends would look at you like, "what the crap are you doing?"
First you have to let me know how to get the kids to stand at the wall....and then actually stay there!
I think we need a head count because I never repapered that wall. What do you think I'm crazy? I ask dad again he said no flowers he just told you to go count the flowers meaning ivy, Hmm!
But remember we're old here and the memory is getting fuzzy! so what kind of flowers do you remember?
This is for Kaye.
First of all to get them to stay there is called "FEAR". They have to be alittle afraid of you or it won't work.
Second, you have 5 boys and I am not sure it has ever been tried on that many boys before.
Even "I" remember the flower and ivy wallpaper. And I'm the youngest! Didn't it have alike a..pinkish tint to it at one point? but Yeah, I definitely remember the flowers and ivy like Rachel said.
Similar memories only we had to stand in a corner. We fought over who had to stand in the one with spider web. I am guilty of doing the same to my kids.
Ok, so you're saying ivy wallpaper with little white flowers with a pinkish tint. You guys make me laugh.
The flowers were pink, I know that.
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