A Bundle of Sticks

Every night after the kids go to bed Jared and I try to take a few minutes to reconnect and talk about the day or discuss issues that need resolution. One theme we’ve hashed quite a bit lately is the sibling arguments.

So many people have told me their close-in-age kids fought like crazy when they were little, but became best friends once they got older. Oh, how I hope and pray for this to be true for us because while the fighting may be “normal,” Jared and I worry so much about teaching the kids to get along.

Part of our school curriculum this year includes reading some of Aesop’s Fables. I remember hearing a few of the fables as a kid, but have never been too familiar with these classics, so it’s been fun to study the morals along with the kids. The Bundle of Sticks was one we listened to recently, and the story nicely illustrated the principle of kindness and cooperation we’ve been working so hard to encourage.

There are several adaptations of the traditional fable, but the overview is that a father gathered his quarreling sons together, gave them a large bundle of sticks, and ordered them to break the bundle. The sons strained and struggled, but none could break the sticks. Then he gave each son a single stick, and ordered to break–which they easily did.  The moral the father shared is that union gives strength.

Before I retold this fable to the kids I went to the backyard and gathered a bunch of dead twigs–ones that would snap easily–and called for some “strong helpers.” (They’re really into superheros right now, so I quickly had three eager-to-volunteer participants!) Each child took a turn trying to break the bundle of sticks. Of course they couldn’t (though Ryan–my “determined” child–tried to make it his life’s mission to “Hulk Smash” the bundle).

After attempting to break the stack of sticks, they all took a turn snapping a single twig, and then we talked about the difference between the two experiences. I think the object lesson may have been enough to illustrate the point, but to really give them the personal connection I told my own highly embellished version of Aesop’s fable–lacing it with details of four kids who argued over whose turn it was to use the Nemo plate at breakfast, or choose the episode of Martha Speaks. I revealed their struggle to obey when their mommy asked them to unload the top rack of the dishwasher, get ready to leave a friend’s house, or turn off the computer. And when I reached the part when the four fighting kids couldn’t break the bundle of sticks, they started to understand my point that we are stronger when we work together.

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Since it’s election day here in the US, it seems impossible to look away from the political posts and propaganda. While I have strong and clear opinions about this term’s presidential vote, I’ve grown tired (as I’m sure most of you have) of the hoopla accompanying the decision and am anxious for the results to be revealed so we can move past “election season.”

I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute my say in our country’s leadership, and I hope that we–as friends, family, and ultimately the nation–can peaceably accept the results of the next four years. We may not all agree on who gets the orange cup, but kicking your brother’s Lego project won’t solve the problems of our nation, and our sticks will easily break if we don’t stand together.

{stick pretzels tied with pull & peel Twizzlers} 

Linked to: Living and Learning at Home