parenting stumbles as they age

 

Is this a weekly thing?? Can we dare say I might even blog more regularly?

I mean, anything is possible, friends.

As my kids age, I don’t blog about their naughty antics, their sneaking apple crumb cake off the counter, their shrieks in each other’s necks. It’s their story, right? And I’m also so imperfect, shouting when I already have a sore throat, recycling artwork in a non-stealthy fashion, failing to plan for dinner and wailing that no one appeared with a magic wand for the play dough disaster that is my kitchen currently. #costcobribes

But I am circling around this theme of stumbling toward what’s best for them as a parent. The last week have given me ample opportunity. One kid made a poor choice. This child had a consequence and a ticked-off mom.

Same child made a similarly poor choice along the same lines as before. This time I didn’t waste space and time by being angry. I could simply lay out the facts, the rules, how this child had violated them, and the outcome. It wasn’t about me. It was about the child. And how to help shape the choice next time temptation to swipe a treat comes up. Because it will. Because the world is full of unattended treats on your mom’s counter. Ahem.

When I can rightly order my response, my reaction, to be for the child’s BEST good. For what will serve their soul in the long run, for how these habits here and now, these vices here and now, lay a double-helix foundation for vices later, that’s a good parenting moment.

I also felt like a real prosecutor again. LAYING OUT THOSE FACTS AND DRAWING REEEEAL CONCLUSIONS.

My kid went to bed still feeling off, despite a few tickles and jokes about loving them (yeah, it’s plural but you don’t want to read “the child” again) being an unemployed ditch digger who would be equally lovable to the person who cures cancer in my eyes. They should feel off. It’s called the pricking of the conscience. I hope!

Along all these lines, AA and I were in a video for our parochial school. We roused the kids super early one morning during summer break, dressed them in passably cute outfits, found clothing that wasn’t a linen sheet for me (you’re welcome, people), and lured them to the car, to school, with a promise of donuts after. You can watch it here and see if you can catch my two verbal blunders. In my defense, it was a few days after my concussion, but also, why didn’t I style my hair?! #vanity