After school today, Grace tells me this little story:

Grace: Mom, today we had a fire drill, and they didn’t tell us we were having a fire drill!  When we had to go, my shoelaces were tied together so I had a hard time getting down the steps, and then I had a hard time getting them undone so when it was time to go back inside I had to take my shoes off, and everyone was laughing at me.
Me: Yeah, that doesn’t sound very fun.  What did you learn from this?
Grace: (very sheepishly) That I shouldn’t tie my shoelaces together.
Me: Mhm… and were you supposed to be tying your shoelaces together…or listening to your teacher in class?
Grace: Listening to my teacher.
Me: Yeah, probably.

And the heavens opened up and the Hallelujah Chorus was heard by all!!  I could not have taught her this lesson.  She had to learn it all on her own through struggles and embarrassment.   Am I glad she was embarrassed?  Of course not.  But sometimes that happens in a natural consequence.

Thank you, fire drill, for taking a turn as parent today.

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