This week it became obvious to me that they even understand the application of the verses, more than I'd imagined. Maddux and Eli were playing on the back deck while I was making dinner one afternoon. Eli got the basketball and started playing. Even though Maddux wanted to play, he told her that he wanted to play alone. She then grabbed the ball away from him and ran away. He asked her several times (in a voice I wouldn't call 'nice', but definitely not in a mean tone) to return the ball. When she refused, he came in and (calmly) told me, "Mom, I got the ball for myself to play and then Maddux took it. I asked her to give it back to me, but she won't so I'm coming to you."
This is exactly the way we've asked them to approach such a situation (basically, try to work it out between yourselves first), so I was super excited because Eli usually struggles with all of that AND calmness.
I thanked him and then called for Maddux to come in and have a chat with me. I reminded her that taking something from a friend is not a good way to make them want to play. Then we quickly reviewed our current verse: Love your neighbor as yourself. She agreed that she doesn't like it when others take toys from her, so she shouldn't do that to Eli.Off she goes, back outside. I hear her ask Eli again if she can play with him and he declines, a little harshly. She huffs and looks at him as she says, "Eli, you just gave me that red balloon today and that means you're nice, so you can't be mean to me. Love your neighbor as yourself." As solid as her delivery was, Eli was not convicted to share his basketball.
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