Our hope is that our children will do everything better than we did.
Case in point.
I’m a better Grandparent than I was a parent. It was very hard for me to let my children be unhappy. And they knew it. Kids are smart…and naughty.
Last night, Charlet, Kiley’s 18-month old, was crying and throwing a royal fit at the dinner table. She wanted to hold her sweet Funny Bunny (Her blanket that looks like a bunny) while she ate.
Kiley gently took the Funny Bunny and put it aside and brought Charlet to the table. Charlie-that’s her pet name-threw her head back and screamed.
I wanted to take her and comfort her; after all, she wasn’t feeling very well. I told Kiley that I was feeling like a weak Gigi (my pet name)and I wanted to hold her and let her eat with her Funny Bunny.
Charlie cried louder as Kiley cajoled her a bit and then very calmly took her from the table, gave her Funny Bunny and took her to bed.
I sat at the table and stewed a bit knowing that my Charlie was downstairs and probably starving to death and crying her little heart out, though I didn’t hear her.
After a few minutes, Kiley went and fetched her back to the table, sans Funny Bunny.
Charlie gladly sat and ate and didn’t even inquire with a little cry about her precious pet.
I admitted to Kiley that she was a better mom than I ever was. I told her I would have let her win.
I realized Charlie learned that even though she didn’t feel well, that was no reason to throw a tantrum. And…most importantly, mom can not be manipulated by your unhappiness.
My daughter’s tell me I wasn’t as bad a mother as I believe. But, I know in my heart, I wasn’t that good either.
I’m okay with it. I’ve learned such good parenting from them. Kate once said about my parenting, that they ‘stand on my shoulders.’ Well, maybe I stood on my mother’s shoulders too.
I was also standing on my good friend, Carol Steele’s shoulders. (She was very strong) She helped me so much in so many ways. She was God’s very present grace in my life. She parented me while I parented my little ones. We were having children at the same time, but she had such good parenting herself that she, no doubt, stood on her own mother’s shoulders. (I knew her mother very well and it is true, she was incredible.)
Again, our hope is that our children will do everything better than we did.
My daughter’s and their husbands are excellent parents. They are not worried about their kid’s happiness, necessarily. They want their children happy, but not more than they want their children well behaved and even more so, to know Jesus.
I do thank Him for my daughters who by His grace are such wonderful women and are even better wives and moms than I was.
And, no doubt, their children will surpass them.
Deut 6:6,7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
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