Picky Chickens

Something has come over me...

  

I am itching to buy a bunch- bunch? That's not right. Herd? Flock? "Flock" sounds better so we'll go with it. I want a flock of chickens!

Where did this idea come from?? I obviously don't know anything about chickens. I've taken a few photos but I've never had any interest in chickens. 

Horses, yes. Chickens, no. 

Now all of a sudden it seems like the best idea in the world! 

I'm totally blaming Jess. I read her glorious stories of saddling hens and battling taming a rowdy rooster and I think to myself that's the life for me!

Well now, here is a funny coincidence... I picked up my little book that I got for my birthday and 

the chapter is called

"Picky Chickens" 

This is not a poultry book. In fact, the title is "Loving the little years motherhood in the trenches"

May I tell you about the picky chickens? It all ties together!  

The author tells a story of a visit to a gorgeous old farm house. In the farmyard there are a bunch of hilarious chickens running around- the kind with outrageous hairdos and leg warmers. As the chickens come closer, they no longer look cute. All of them had bald and bleeding spots where they had been picking one another's feathers out.

She writes "These chickens came to my mind suddenly one day while I was trying to explain to my little girls why they may not fuss and bicker at each other, and it has since become its own offense in our home -being 'picky chickens.' ...It has been our most successful picture of infighting, and a great tool for them to see themselves in their actions. I mean, honestly, who really likes the idea of being a mean chicken with open sores? 

One of the great things about having children is that you constantly convict yourself by teaching them. If you are addressing their problems honestly, and if you double-check yourself, you will almost always find a little something to think about. Have you ever been frustrated by something your kids did? For me it is usually something I was not expecting- when the disobedience falls suddenly outside the normal range. Like filling the bathroom sink with toothpaste and soap and shampoo. The need to correct is real, but so is the desire to pick a feather out while you are at it. Do you really want to be the fastest, biggest, pickiest, meanest chicken in the barnyard? So think about your language with your children. Do you want them to feel bad, or see them with a clear conscience so that you can have a little snuggle tickle-fest?"

This was a poignant and timely reminder.

And when I get my flock of chickens...

The first thing I will do is read the chapter to them!