Tools- for life

This last weekend, Jeff was under the house in the crawl, and up in the attic. Working on a phone jack so I can move my computer into the other room. He's good to have around. He's got skills. All kinds. One of the many things I love about him.
He got our boys involved. They were fishing wires, and using all kinds of tools.
Later, after the job was all done, the kids were squabbling, and I got to thinking. Thinking about how the boys will know how to use the TOOLS they used on the job.
Thinking that without the right TOOLS the job could not be done right.
Thinking that living with 5 other human beings-all different, all concerned about their own needs, takes SKILL and TOOLS.
TOOLS to deal with contention, TOOLS to deal with hurt, TOOLS to deal with anger with frustration.
RESPECT.......... LOVE..........FORGIVENESS............SERVICE.............BEING GRATEFUL
I didn't learn these TOOLS very well while I was a kid.
Trying to teach my kids these TOOLS out of a hat.
It get's tricky.
How do we learn to deal with life?
At home.
Humbling for me.
Makes me want to get on my knees more and more so I can teach my kids how to thrive in their adult relationships or even their adolescent ones. (those are the ones I'm most worried about the most)

Side note:
I'm reading Shawni (Eyre) Pothier's book. Found her blog. She did something so BRILLIANT this weekend. I'm thinking there's a sizable mountain in my neighborhood that Devon, Jeff and I will be hiking in a couple of years.

♥