Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Caleb's Personal Assistant

At the age of five Caleb has scored a personal assistant. He has been asking Cara for her services for years, but it is getting really out of control. Every time Caleb needs something done that is not "fun" for him he asks his assistant, Cara. The three kids shower together most nights, and Cara comes running out of the bathroom at least once and usually twice or more to get a toy or something for her brother. On Halloween every time Cara got a piece of candy that Caleb liked he would simply ask her if he could have it and her sweet reply is always "sure" as she would pass it over. (Every once in a while I tell him no way.) When he drops his pencil on the floor while doing homework he always asks Cara to pick it up for him. Yesterday he refused to clean out the dishwasher and asked Cara to do it for him. She got right to work. When I told him the only people that would get candy would be those who did their chores he asked Cara to get two pieces. She never refuses. They don't fight. If she ever resists his never ending demands he says, "fine, I wont let you in my room." She instantly complies. If I had a dollar for every time Cara has come to me to say "my brother needs help." I would be a millionaire. When he is in a pinch he just sends Cara for help.

If you have any ideas how I can deal with this please help me. I don't want to discourage Cara from serving her brother but really enough is enough! Maybe it is fine, but maybe they are getting ruined. Caleb is going to spend his life bossing people around fully expecting them to comply, and Cara is going to continue to serve the bossy and ungrateful. Help!

8 comments:

Erica said...

Hahahahaha! I have no ideas for you, but that sure is funny!

Camille said...

It just sounds cute to me!

The Ravsten's said...

I'm going to have to say that I have no ideas either, than maybe a chart that allows her so many times a day to help him, or for him to only ask so many times a day. Sure that really won't work, but it was worth putting out there. Good luck with that. Too bad Cara is soooo sweet!

See you in a few weeks. Emily :)

Emily Brandt A... said...

That's hilarious! I'll have to think about that one. All I can think of right now is using a game or chore chart that teaches the value of doing your own work. I'll let you know if I think of anything more specific.

Boyer Family said...

Boy is he in for a surprise when she grows up and starts with hormones and the moody girl thing. Let it be now because he will have to deal with her later!!!! Enjoy!!!

Dr. Mom said...

I've had your blog open in a tab for a few days, giving this some thought. I don't have any details worked out, but the idea that keeps reoccurring is to do something with marbles in a jar. Caleb could put in a yellow one for every time he does something nice for Cara and a black one every time he asks for him to help her - or something similar. It might be good for him to get a visual of the amount of giving vs. receiving that his happening in his life. Maybe you could have a FHE on service tomorrow. I'll let you know if I come up with any marvelous solutions, which would be fabulous because then I could implement it with my two oldest. Probably has something to do with birth order, eh? Take care and good luck!

Diane said...

I had no ideas of my own, but wanted to see what others suggested. I liked the one with the marbles. You could even have him take a marble out whenever he asks Cara to do something for him. That way he could see how much he's not doing, and he'd have to do things for her in order to have anything to take out of the jar when he asks for her help. Cara sounds like the sweetest little one. I'm the 5th of 6 kids and I remember running downstairs ALL THE TIME to get thing for my older sisters. It finally hit me one day that I didn't need to do that and they could go get it as easily as I could. Cara will probably figure that one out before too long (however, I was probably 7 or 8 years old). I do agree with you though, who wants to discourage that kind of sweetness?

Kar said...

That is really funny. Oh, Caleb, the little stinker. Dylan is quite the bossy oldest sibling as well. Sadie won't take it, thankfully. Though usually she is at the other end of the spectrum. Dylan tries to boss her around, and she slugs him in the stomach. It's an issue.