There is no appropriate metaphor for what it is like to be a parent
I wish it was easier to put into words how it feels to simultaneously feel like a failure, hero, and genius, and idiot - all at once. But, there isn't.
Recently my 7 year old has started lying. Like, a lot. She is kindhearted, funny, and tests as gifted....and is a total liar and sooooo bad at it. I am thankful for that last bit- that she is bad at it. It makes me feel better that I can catch her in the lies and sit them down then and there, or I would be in trouble. I mentioned she is gifted - academically. She has zero street smarts or common sense. It is actually shocking.
I know it is because she is 7, and testing me (some challenge of the man is healthy and encouraged) - and it is my job to limit her success an confidence with lying so that I am successful at teaching her how to be a good person; a person people can trust and look to as a role model, someone other people want to emulate and can respect.
I practiced the staples "take something away"and "write me a letter about what have you learned" and had yet to see any fruits of the labor- the lies continue. So, tonight I got creative. I told my daughter no about something and she did the.exact.opposite. moments later.
So, I came up with the following lesson:
Tomorrow, we will switch roles. Since my 7 year old thinks she can make better decisions than I can, and can therefore not have to listen to my instructions - she will be taking over my job as mother and decision maker tomorrow.
On the list:
I provided a step stool and instructions for the completion of the following list....
Making coffee
Making breakfast
Laundry
Dishes - running dishwasher
Clean cat litters
Trash and Recycling
Sweeping the downstairs
Changing her sister's diapers
Making lunch
Putting her 2 year old sister down for a nap (patting her back and reading her a story)
Grocery shopping
Changing laundry over
Finishing dishes- put clean dishes away, run dishwasher
Wiping counter tops
Answering my phone and taking messages
Making dinner
Putting lunch dishes away
Cleaning dinner dishes
Running the dishwasher
Running a bath
Getting her sister naked an ready for a bath
(with mom) wash sister and get her out of bath, dried off, into her jammies, read a story, and pat her back
........
I will let you know how it goes in the next post :)
Her view:
My view:
Reality:
Recently my 7 year old has started lying. Like, a lot. She is kindhearted, funny, and tests as gifted....and is a total liar and sooooo bad at it. I am thankful for that last bit- that she is bad at it. It makes me feel better that I can catch her in the lies and sit them down then and there, or I would be in trouble. I mentioned she is gifted - academically. She has zero street smarts or common sense. It is actually shocking.
I know it is because she is 7, and testing me (some challenge of the man is healthy and encouraged) - and it is my job to limit her success an confidence with lying so that I am successful at teaching her how to be a good person; a person people can trust and look to as a role model, someone other people want to emulate and can respect.
I practiced the staples "take something away"and "write me a letter about what have you learned" and had yet to see any fruits of the labor- the lies continue. So, tonight I got creative. I told my daughter no about something and she did the.exact.opposite. moments later.
So, I came up with the following lesson:
Tomorrow, we will switch roles. Since my 7 year old thinks she can make better decisions than I can, and can therefore not have to listen to my instructions - she will be taking over my job as mother and decision maker tomorrow.
On the list:
I provided a step stool and instructions for the completion of the following list....
Making coffee
Making breakfast
Laundry
Dishes - running dishwasher
Clean cat litters
Trash and Recycling
Sweeping the downstairs
Changing her sister's diapers
Making lunch
Putting her 2 year old sister down for a nap (patting her back and reading her a story)
Grocery shopping
Changing laundry over
Finishing dishes- put clean dishes away, run dishwasher
Wiping counter tops
Answering my phone and taking messages
Making dinner
Putting lunch dishes away
Cleaning dinner dishes
Running the dishwasher
Running a bath
Getting her sister naked an ready for a bath
(with mom) wash sister and get her out of bath, dried off, into her jammies, read a story, and pat her back
........
I will let you know how it goes in the next post :)
Her view:
My view:
Reality:
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