- I think most people as they grow older and have children of their own, will decide there are some things their parents did that they will choose to do differently with their own kids. It’s a constantly evolving, learning process. Your parents said the same thing when they started to raise you, and your kids will likely say the same about you, no matter how hard you try to make it different. There are some things you say you’ll never do. You vow to do it better. You say, “there’s no way I’ll let my kids watch movies that my parents let me see” or perhaps, “I will not let my child play alone all day in those woods by herself!” It makes you wonder if your parents worried about snakes, pedophiles, broken bones, or teen pregnancy at all.
- They do deserve props, though, right? We certainly were no angels to raise. When my children are driving me crazy, I think of my Mom doing it with four of us. I think of my phase in childhood where I was a habitual liar. I think of my little sister who was constantly going ninety to nothing, back before the word ADHD and the meds to fix it came along. Back then Moms just dealt with it, put em outside, and hummed insanely to themselves. Raising a tiny human is a serious job! As Chloe gets older and starts to ask lots of questions, I’m confronted with the reality that I’m in charge of molding her little mind into the person she needs to be. Today she was showing me a new dance move and started incorporating what looked like karate. She said, “When somebody is mean to me, I’ll kick em like this.” I was pretty surprised, having no idea where she learned such a thing. I proceeded to try and teach a miniature lesson against violence, and in favor of kind treatment to others, Golden Rule, being like Jesus, etc. It seems like every day holds these little opportunities for life lessons. It can be an overwhelming responsibility if you think about it too long or hard.
- When I was a kid, I remember when we’d be driving and see a turtle in the road, that my Mom would stop. She always, without fail, did this. She would pull over and help the turtle to cross the road, and prevent its demise from a speeding car. She did this even if we were in a hurry or had groceries in the back. There may be a few things I’ll say I want to do different, but when it comes down to the important stuff, my folks did a fine job. I learned the best lessons when they weren’t even trying to teach me anything. I watched my parents love each other like they were teenagers. I remember seeing my Mom write love notes to my Dad when their work schedules would keep their paths from crossing. When either made a mistake, the other was quick to forgive, and the sun never set on their wrath. All our animals as kids were rescue pets Mom saw on the side of the road, and couldn’t abandon. They taught me to love, and to love unconditionally. I find myself saying things to Chloe that sound like something my parents might say, and that usually makes me smile. I may not get it completely right, but I will do my best. I won’t try too hard to make everything an educational assignment, but will definitely let my life and my actions be a continuous lesson to my little ones. To this day, if I see a turtle crossing the road, I have to stop. If my girls can learn love, humanity, and self sacrifice from me, and remember it always, then I have done my job.
That is all 🙂