You Guys Are Being Selfish

My kids have watched this hilarious video by Julian Smith at least 6 times. We crack up at all of his works (at least the ones that I let them watch).

Isn't that ridiculous? He's got more waffles than he can eat and more than the other two guys put together, and yet he still calls them selfish?

Recently, I had a chance to use this video as an example with my kids. It was the end of the day ("free time") at our Elevate Summer Camp, and all of us were in the gym playing -- jump rope, basketball, or just tossing balls and frisbees.

At one point, one of my kids (holding 3 balls) was running away from another child who wanted a ball. I am consistently harping on them about being selfish. Our conversations center around the need to love others, and to worship Jesus instead of worshiping stuff. I try to orient it all around the gospel.

But on this day, I figured a lighter tone would work. I pulled aside my offending child, and said, "Hey. Do you remember the Julian Smith video with the waffles?" He immediately smiled.

I continued, "Remember how he had lots of waffles and didn't want to share two of them with friends? And remember how he said they were being selfish?" His smile grew bigger.

"Well, you have 3 balls, and your friend had none. Even if you gave him one, you were still have more than him. You're being like the waffle guy. You're being selfish, and yet you're mad at the kid asking for one little ball. Should you be the waffle guy?"

He agreed that he should share and went on his way. Issue solved. Boring lecture avoided. Heart reached.

Now, to figure out how I can use more of Julian Smith's videos as parenting illustrations.

Related Links:

• Losing Privileges Can Hit You Like a Ton of Bricks  
• Teaching Stewardship: Question, Principles, and Application  
• What Concepts About Sharing Can My Toddler Understand?