Anyone who has read this blog and  is familiar with Growing Kids God's Way has figured out where I get a lot of my child training ideas!  One of their underlying fundamental principles is to teach our children about the "preciousness of others."  To put others first.  Children do not like to think of others first.  Adults do not like to think of others first!  We practice practice practice "others first." Sometimes I feel like it's an uphill battle (which it is!).  I find myself saying 20 times a day "Who were you thinking of?" "Who does Jesus want us to think of?"  
        We use the concept of taking the low place.  That's concrete enough for even my 3 year old to grasp, most of the time.  When two kids want to sit on the same chair, and one gives way to the other, I compliment them on taking the low place (and storing up treasures in heaven!).   If two kids are fighting over which video we should put in, I encourage them both to be willing to take the low place and let the other choose.  Once in a great while, I reward the child who takes the low place without being prompted.
        I remember reading a story about a mom who practiced this idea, she talked about how every Sunday morning she would make special chocolate chip pancakes for her sons.  (She would sprinkle them on top while the pancakes were cooking).  One morning, she realized that she didn't have enough chocolate chips for everyone to have their usual amount so she asked who would be willing to take the low place by having the pancake with only a few chocolate chips.  The oldest said he didn't mind. As a reward, she dug out some whipped cream and gave him a huge portion of it on top of his pancake.    The next week, she tested her boys by repeating the senario.  This time, everyone wanted to take the "low" place and have the pancake with less chocolate chips.  The oldest again said he didn't mind if his brother took the pancake with less chocolate chips.  So the mother gave the oldest the pancake with the most chocolate chips and she also gave him the whipped cream but not his brother.  She was still rewarding him for being willing to take the low place. His younger brother was pretending to be humble and take the low place figuring he would get to have the same reward as his brother had gotten the previous week.  But that wise mom made the point that he was still really taking the high place because he was pretending to be humble in order to get what he wanted.  Which is just like the Pharisees in the bible. 
        So I guess my point is that it's good for me to encourage my kids to take the low place,but it's also important to do little heart checks to be sure I'm raising children who are learning to serve others out of humility and love, and not raising little Pharisees who love the praise of man. 
And yes, this is very choppy and not very well thought out, but in 5 minutes it will no longer be Thursday and "Train up a Child Friday" just doesn't have the same flow!!  good night!