The Bedroom

by Kathryn Taylor

O RADish, O RADish, oh what do I spy,

Way under your bed? It's my last piece of pie!!

And what is this lump beneath the bedspread?

Why, there is that loaf of garlic French bread!

What is that smell? Are those flies over there?

Oh, not again, a pile of un-der-wear-

Look there's a trail of crumbs across here,

Leading into the closet. What is it, my dear?

A mouse you say, made a nest in the back?

To me it looks more like a hairy pack rat.

Well, here is Dad's wallet, and brother's new ball-

Here's sister's dolly that's been missing since Fall-

Cookies and trinkets, and clothing galore

I just do not know if I can take any more!!!

I take a deep sigh and continue the search-

Oh, what would they think of us down at the church?!

I escape to a daydream, my place of denial

As I rummage on through the rest of the piles-

I sort through stale food and defecated clothes,

Found only because of my "hound-dog" good nose-

I dream of the dreams I've dreamt for this room

that my sweet little RADish turned into a tomb-

A graveyard of hopes and wishes I've had

Oh, how I wish it a quick passing fad-

I pray for the day of rebuilding my dreams

And long for the day this room is redeemed-

2000All rights reserved, ã Kathryn Taylor

Copying without permission for non-personal use is forbidden

em~Bella~ishment:

......."There is an opinion out there that RAD children NEVER should go to their room. It just isolates them more. Time OUT is a no-no for RAD. They SEEK to be punished...put in isolation.  Instead, 'Time In', which means family time.  I NEVER put my kids in their room for inappropriate behavior. What a drag that can be!! I think the only time son went to his bedroom was if he was crying & needed to calm down.  Then, we found that while he was crying, he was hoarding food up to his room.  Soooo, we shut the door & it remains closed until his body is going to bed. He gets into the most trouble in his bedroom!!  Amazing amounts of mischeif".......

Bella

Bedrooms-

Our bedrooms are different from any other room in the house. They

are our "nests", our personal space, our place of privacy.  When the shootings at Columbine High in Colorado took place, there was a lot of focus on the boys' bedrooms. The search revealed the character of these boys.  There is a spiritual aspect to our children's rooms as well.

We are all so uniquely different: our family dynamics, our spiritual

maturity, our convictions, our histories, our parenting styles, our personalities.  Are our children receptive, resistant, healing, rebelling, moldable, hard-hearted, younger, older, open to God, or not?

Nighttime is a vulnerable time of attack, but also a good time for spiritual warfare.  Here are some ideas to bring God into our children's bedrooms:

*Is it spiritually clean? (music, books, toys, video games. So many

things have occultic or evil ties) 

Books for reading: Satan in the Toybox, Unbroken Curses

*Pray with child before bed

*Pray/anoint child while asleep

*Pray/anoint windows, door, and beds when child is away.

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for the privilege to bring all things before You. We

ask You to give us parents wisdom and discernment over our children

and their rooms. Show us what we need to take out of their rooms.

If their rooms are empty, Lord, fill them with your presence from top to bottom. Help us not to hang on to the disappointment we have over these children not being what we had dreamed of. Show us what specific things we need to bring before you concerning them. Help us

to stand strong in faith. Help us to walk by faith and not by

sight. Help us to hang on to Your promises. Thank You, Father, that You love and care for us sooo much. In Jesus name....

Amen

Our bedroom.........our own personal space that defines us........a place to express who we are and what we love.......a place of peace, rest, and privacy.......But, for some of our kids, it can mean something, far, far different..........

em~Bella~ishment:

......"As per damage~ I tell my son that i am giving him the OPPORTUNITY to fix his room.  If he doesn't take it, it stays ripped, broken, holes in screens & walls.  He DOES clean up the urine.  But the holes?  Yea- not very motivated.  I figure- if there's no motivation to have it nice, he'll just ruin what we fix.  so, it stays like that until he feels so inclined (with a bit of prompting from me) to fix it.

My vacuum is OFF LIMITS to my kids. I got them their OWN smaller vacuum. They have NEVER broken that one.  LOL! Imagine!

Living Life joyfully~

Bella

........."When a RAD takes your things, many times they may be trying to find a way to connect to you. It doesn't make any logical sense, but it is their way of trying to build the bridge in their head, or their wiring to you. If they have something of yours then it could mean closeness in their wiring. The "taking" is their way of controlling the closeness or connection.

I used to take things from my foster parents or others I wanted to feel close to and hide them because it gave me a sense of "unknown" closeness. As long as I had the item and they did not know about it, my wiring told me that I was safe and that I was close. If they were to find out about it, then the "magic" would be over. I would have to find something else to take. Food was the ultimate "high" because once you ate it, no one could take it away, EVER"........

A RADmom, SB

note from Kathryn Taylor.........This information so impacted me.  Having lived with twin RADs since they were 8, I could never see any positive thought process whatsoever with the stealing and lying.  This explanation made such sense to me.  I wish I had had this insight years ago......Thanks, SB, for sharing :)