Today's Lesson

Welcome, boys and girls.

Today's lesson is on consequences.

Consequences are best described as the results of one's actions.

If you're running too fast and trip over your own two feet, a consequence of that choice might be a bloody nose.

If you throw your corn on the floor rather than eat it, a consequence of that choice might be picking up your corn, one kernel at a time, and taking it to the trash can...until all the corn has been picked up off the floor.  One kernel at a time.

And today, if you're Large Fry, you learn that a consequence is not a punishment...but it sure feels like it.

Hubby discovered, why Large was at school, that the white plastic shelves in the toy room had been written on.

Not just drawn on...written on.  With letters.

Which (for now) clearly revealed the guilty party:  Large Fry.

The twin Fries can't write letters yet.

And when Large Fry got home from school, Hubby showed her his discovery.  "What is this?"

Large Fry mumbled a response.

"Yes, someone drew on the shelves.  Do you know who did it?"

Immediately, Large Fry pinned the blame on her younger siblings.

"Large Fry, we're going to have a talk about lying."

This caused her to change her tune, and she 'fessed up.

Thus, she discovered the consequence to writing on the shelves: having to wash it all off.  By hand.

Much whimpering, whining, crying, and wailing commenced.  It took her 45 minutes to get the shelves (which do have some texturing, making it hard to get all the crayon out of those grooves) clean enough to pass Unca D's inspection.

But I don't think she'll be writing on the shelves any time soon.

So, what have we learned today?

"Not to write on the shelves."

And what happens again if you do?

Punishment plus cleaning off the shelves?  Oh, yes.

That's all.  Class dismissed.