Ownership.

I confiscated 30 of the girls possessions today.  It was perfectly justified.  You see, a few months ago, we had a family home evening lesson on ownership(and stewardship).  Some of the girls were upset by how others were treating their possessions so we set a few ground rules regarding the borrowing of others' possessions.  We decided that we should ask ourselves the following three questions while putting an item to use: 1.  Is it mine?  If not, then 2.  Have I asked permission?  If granted, then 3.  Am I taking good care of it?

 Well if this particular lesson was any indication of my children's listening and comprehension skills, I'd say we're toast.  I can't count the number of times I've had to reiterate those three simple questions to the girls when they have violated one or all of them.  And then I realized it's not that they don't remember the questions, it's that there are no real consequences for not adhering.

Today, as we worked together to clean up the Gryffindor common room, and Potions classroom, and Great Hall my daughters had reconstructed in our playroom, I couldn't help but notice a few borrowed items belonging to me for which permission had never been granted.  No surprises there, but having had it up to "here" with their disregard for ownership, I began counting them and decided that they could give up one of their possessions in exchange for the unlawful use of each of mine.  30 in all.  I think we may have found a cure.