I Can See The Light

I've been really working with my kids for the last few months to teach them to keep their things picked up. My six year old does a great job. All he wants to do is please me. If I tell him to clean his room or empty the dishwasher, he does it without complaint. My four year old is an entirely different species. Any word from my lips involving work and she dissolves into a puddle of whining exhaustion on the floor. Her efforts are so effective that I almost want to stop asking her to pick up her things. It's easier to do it myself and my ears don't hurt as much. Nevertheless, I don't stop. I persevere. I nag. I am rewarded by a glimmering light of hope. I command and she listens. I direct and she obeys. I would have not thought it possible but here she is. My daughter, cleaning up the puzzle, with no sound excaping her lips. She doesn't stop there. She vacuums the stairs. She helps her brother clean his room and he helps her in hers to they can get finished faster. It's Saturday and they want to play with friends. An entire morning of glory for the good side, the right side, the organized side.