Accountability

Tonight I told the kids to clean the playroom.  I went in 10 minutes later and it looked the same, actually it may have even looked worse.  I did my "mommy warning" and told them I would be back in 10 minutes. 

Before their 10 minutes were up, Tony went in there to check and give them the "you better hurry up before mommy sees this" speech.

10 more minutes pass and I go in to check on the progress.  What did I see before me? Two children playing contently.  Seriously?  Did my warnings not mean anything?  So, what did I do?  Tonight, I did something different than I normally do. On a normal night I would help them clean up because I'm so tired of talking about it and watching them delay bedtime in 10 minute increments.  Not tonight.

I said, "okay, you have 10 minutes to clean this play room and I'm going to sit here and watch you do it".  I bet you can guess what happened next.  Yep, you guessed it.  They cleaned the playroom in their allotted time slot, and did it all by themselves.  It's called accountability. 

(this photo is Caroline and my Mom in our playroom)

 

Even as an adult, we need accountability.  Tony and I are eating healthy, and have committed to 38 days (5 weeks) without cheating.  It's a lot easier when he is here on his day off, and we eat meals together and spend the day together.  Monday, I'm going to have a hard time when I make Caroline her peanut butter and Jelly sandwich with yogurt and Cheetos on the side.  So, for my own accountability, I've been sending him pictures of everything I eat.  We have made our own "rewards" for making it the 5 weeks without cheating.  A little motivation never hurt anyone; However, it would be a lot harder if I bribed myself with a reward, yet had no one to hold me to my actions. 

Proverbs 27:17 
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.

 James 5:16 
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Tonight, accountability worked for my kids.  (Now, if only I could figure out how to stop the crying fits when it's bed time...)  Do you have accountability in your life?