My four-year-old has been pointing out to me when he makes a good choice, or when he obeys, or remembers to follow a routine.... It's been a cool thing for me as a mom to hear him report on his personal successes.
I thought maybe he was telling me because he thought I didn't notice... it's true, quite often, that I'm not always aware of what each of my six children is doing. I've talked with mothers of just one and they admit the same thing.
Of course, I get notified when one of the kiddos notices his sibling doing something wrong -- or is the victim of a fellow child's bad behavior. Rarely, though, do they bother to let me know when "all is well in Zion."
So having a son who wants to be recognized a little more often and a little more positively is a nice change from the ol' role of referee!
As this phenomenon has continued for a few weeks now, I think it may not just be about Mommy being told, but I think his little reports are a sort of self-reinforcement.
He is feeling that innate sense of right versus wrong playing out in his own life, and by sharing his discoveries, he is self-congratulating and therefore more likely to continue with the better choices!
I believe God instills that feeling in us, both the simple understanding of what is good, as well as the accompanying joy. He wants us to be happy, and he knows the "secrets" -- that's what the commandments are! As we obey, particularly the most important commandments of loving God and loving each other, we will experience that consequential happiness, and continue on that path.
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