Everyone's heard that old saying, right? And when you think of little boys, what comes to mind? Dirty, sweaty, smelly, muddy, mischievous, little boys with toads in one pocket and lizards in the other. The stereotypical, cliched version of little boys...well, at least that's what I used to think. However, these little boys that we speak of are actually quite complex. (Or, perhaps that's all children in general.) As the mother of two boys, I am learning new things everyday. And one thing I know for sure; they are made of much more than snips and snails.
As mom to the two cutest boys in the world, I get to see the ins and outs (literally) of what they are made of. Liam, who I've had the great privilege of mothering for 8 months now, is made of lots of love and joy. The kid oozes it. He is happy just about all the time, which is saying a lot since he has been sick for nearly seven weeks straight. He is a super snuggler, too. In fact, he loves to snuggle so much that we rarely put him down for the first seven months of his life. (Which could be why he didn't roll over until two weeks ago...) His existence right now revolves around his needs being met, but as he grows and learns to do and feel new things, I am certain I will get to see more and more what he is made of.
Like I do with my Chan. On a typical day, Chan is made of some of the best stuff: caring heart, loving words, inquiring, spirited nature. Plain and simple, he is awesome. But, he is four. And four year olds are developing themselves, learning how to handle their emotions, and yearning for some tiny shred of independence from all the big people. Four has been difficult for Chan...and his Mommy.
As I said, I am learning every.single.day from my kids. I am quickly learning that our children are made up of some things that are born to them, but most of what they are made of they learn from us...their parents. How we act. How we react. How we care for others (and how we show it). How we express ourselves. How we handle anger, fear, disappointment...
So, Chandler has been a great teacher to me this week. I've learned that, even though I have a lot of patience with 20 other children during the day, I need to have more patience at home with my own kids. I've learned that I need to seek first to understand (pretty sure I've heard that somewhere before....) his actions and behavior. And I've learned that baby steps are okay. Children don't learn everything that they're made of overnight. They learn one step at a time, one day at a time, and one lesson at a time. And that's okay.
Wow. What a responsibility, this whole parenting thing, right?? But, it's what I signed up for. I hope and pray that I do a better job this week than I did last week. And maybe, just maybe, these sweet kiddos will learn something worthwhile from their Momma.
"You get the best out of others when you give the best of yourself."
~Harry Firestone~
Till next week, friends!
Brittany :)
I agree! Parenting is a tough job, and you never realize how tough till you are in the throng of it!! You are a wonderful mother, and like you, I tend to have more patience with the kids who are not mine, than I do with my own. But even on the days we mess up- our kids can learn in those moments. They can learn the heart of "I'm sorry" and of forgiveness. They learn it is ok to confess that big people mess up and have a hard time too. :) This is a new week, and with your post at the forefront of my mind, maybe this week will be better for the both of us!
ReplyDeleteSo very true that we need to be more patient. Even at only 18 months old I get frustrated when he doesn't learn quickly, then I have to remind myself, he is a baby for crying out loud. I definitely agree that our reactions are very important as well. Maybe more important than initial actions. All excellent advice! Loved this blog.
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