I really love spending time with Daniel, and some days I don't. In my ignorance, I thought there was the perfect way to raise a child. Right now, I am taking it day by day and am turning to the Lord quite often. I just want my children to grow up and be decent, respectful persons. Of course, I also want them to have a testimony of the gospel and be active in the church. As a parent, I guess I can do my best and let them make their own choices. But for now, it really is a battle some days.
I often wonder what it will be like to have Coral as a three year old. I dream of her playing lovingly with her dolls; unlike Daniel making any object into a gun. We wrote out letters to Santa tonight and his number one request- a big gun. He loves to run around the house "killing" monsters. What's a mom to do? If there is any advice from you veteran mothers, I have a listening ear.
And then there was today- he helped me do the dishes, take care of Coral, cuddled with me on the couch, had normal and pleasant conversations with me and I just loved him to pieces. Daniel can be one funny kid and alot of fun to be around.
I am just beginning to realize how much Daniel picks up from Carlo and I and also from the outside world. As we both walked into his room this morning, he pushed his door and said "Stupid door." After asking where that came from, he simply said "Dad". I know that last night Carlo went into Daniel's room and said that very thing. Daniel was also giving me a renactment of "The Simpsons" episode Carlo was watching last night! Oh boy.
Unfortunately, Daniel has picked up a few bad things from myself, but of course I can't think of any right now! I do tell him quite often "You're not listening to me." and when I tell him something like "It's time for bed," he replies "No, I don't want to." and I reply "Yes." and he replies "You're not listening to me. I don't want to go to bed." How's that for genius! Using my own parenting strategies on me! As the old man I passed on my walk today said "You have your hands full." And yes I do.
Friday, November 30, 2007
50/50
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4 comments:
That's what this whole parenting thing is all about, right? We have expectations, and sometimes disappointments, and then we adjust the expectations and try again! But at the end of the day, all we can do is love our kids and try to direct their little 'strong willed personalities' in the right direction. So here's to us...the moms who really don't have any answers, but who will get up tomorrow and do it all again! Fun! Kelli
Oh man is he getting older and smarter. I don't have any advice-no true experience for me yet-but I greatly appreciate you sharing your experiences as a mom. And a great mom you are. You love them so much and they see it. Hang in there and we love you!
I am definately not a veteran, but my husband's cousin has her hands full sometimes with a child that has a sensory disorder(not the severe ones, just the ones that would make you frustrated beoynd belief when you try to do anything with her) and she admitted to me that she as well as everyone else are always going to have days when you really don't like your children...and that on such days you 'fake it, until you make it!' meaning that even though you aren't feeling loving, or even liking at the time, towards your children...you just pretend that you do, until you DO get those feelings back. I totally understood this post. It describes perfectly what being inside a mom feels like!
That 'stupid door' comment made me think of two months or so ago when I watched my niece and nephew while my brother and his wife went to a football game. We had just moved in and I was looking everywhere for my 'craft box' with my glue, construction paper, stickers, markers, etc. so we could make some art.
I was getting pretty frustrated, so I finally asked Josh (in a not super nice voice) to help me "Find that stupid box!" He returned a few minutes later with a box that was in the garage and hadn't been moved to the basement yet.
Hailey, who is 4 years old, asked me quite innocently, "Is that the stupid box, Paige?" and I wasn't sure what to say because, yes, it was the box we were looking for, but maybe it wasn't quite as stupid as I had previously thought.
It was a real eye-opener for me. Luckily, it's stuck with me, and I was very conscious of what I said around the kiddies during Thanksgiving. I think it's a good lesson to have learned before our own children join us.
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