Monday, August 16, 2010

Teach your children well....

So we've been quite busy lately what with all the traveling. An unexpected trip to see my sister and her children was wonderfully welcome, and also daunting. I think perhaps I may have blogged something about that trip - with my parents. For the most part it went as well as could be expected.

Having a mid-day melt-down is usually understandable, tolerable, expected even. But having it in a car with my father, anywhere near my father, NOT OK.

My little guy works so hard to be all the four-year-old he can be. One minute he loves you , the next minute your stupid. He listens, he ignores, he holds your hand, he screams don't touch me, he wants chicken nuggets, he wants a doughnut, he is happy, he is down right mad. He is 4!

The curious part is that we require him to hold it together better than we can ourselves. For example, my husband driving home from vacation was an absolute mess. Every minute of the 11 hour journey he was asking where we were and what was next and when we did make two wrong turns (both of which he was responsible for seeing as he was driving) the rest of us just ducked for cover.

So why does he find it odd that when we tell the four-year-old we are doing one thing and then switch gears he falls apart? My husband handles adversity so well, screaming and ranting for hours and telling the children to pee in a cup because "I'm not stopping again we're late!" How can you be late on vacation?

I am by no means making this one sided. I'm the stay-at-home parent. They are with me all day and I am ready to admit that I throw a darn good fit once in awhile. But I think one of the most important things that I've learned as a parent, is that I'm always learning as a parent.

There was no manual and in order to get this thing right I have to be able to learn something new about myself everyday. And there is no better mirror to reflect yourself then your children. It's just no fun when it is at a family event where your four-year-old says, "Let's cut the @#%$& cake!" I'll take credit for that one.

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