Generous Heart (7 Comments)
There are times when raising children that one feels that the child will grow up to be the most selfish, inconsiderate, obnoxious person out there. It’s a challenge to tear the child away from selfish desires and teach them to think of others. It’s not a natural thing. I am dismayed to see my child go over to another and whack him for no apparent reason- or, I should say, no apparent reason that I can see. Then one refuses to let another have a toy even though she isn’t playing with it at that time. These things can trouble a mother’s heart.
When we were visiting The Grandparent’s this summer the kids partook of many treats. The freezer at Grandma’s is full of really good stuff- ice cream treats and Popsicles. She also bakes very well. After lunch the kids got to have Popsicles. I dolled them out, trying to avoid the arguments about what color every one wanted, and gave The Boy broken ones two days in a row. On the third day, I pulled out one that was broken but knowing that he had endured two flawed ones already, I handed it to his Baby Sister and gave him the whole one. Baby Sister stared at the broken pop in her hand and started the high pitched whine.
“I don’t want it! It’s broken!”
It’ll still taste the same.
“But it’s broken!” wailing in a higher pitch.
Your Brother has had two broken ones, he gets a whole one this time. You can still eat it.
Squirms in her seat and starts to cry. I am contemplating what action to take when I look at The Boy.
“She can have mine.”
Baby Sis calms down and makes the trade. After prodding she says “thank you”.
He smiles.
One definitely needs more work but the other shines a glimmer of hope into his Mother’s heart.
Wow, you are a nice mom. If mine whined over a broken one I am afraid I’d just make them go without. I know I am a mean mom.
Cute story!
Comment by Jules — October 8, 2008 @ 3:45 pm
That is what I was contemplating doing but didn’t want to actually SAY that. 🙂
Baby Sister needs some work, that much is true. She has been allowed to get away with things partly because it’s easier to make the older ones cooperate (when she was younger) and partly because the older ones give in to her on their own. There have been a few times that I have been getting after Baby Sis when the older one says “oh never mind” and gives up. That’s really hard because then Baby Sister doesn’t learn anything- well, she does- that whining and carrying on gets her her own way. She’s a work in progress, I’m afraid.
Comment by JustMe — October 8, 2008 @ 3:51 pm
Oh, but her smile is to die for. 🙂
Comment by Michelle Burcham — October 9, 2008 @ 6:50 pm
That is so true!
Comment by JustMe — October 9, 2008 @ 7:35 pm
Not so much to the point, I love the garden gate.
Comment by kn. — October 10, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
Random picture that didn’t relate to the post. But I wanted to use some of the ones I took at my Parent’s place. The gate is a typical Dad creation- he doesn’t just throw something up that will do but creates something really pretty.
Comment by JustMe — October 11, 2008 @ 11:36 am
[…] I posted this Gate in summer here. […]
Pingback by Char’s Blog » The Gate in Winter — January 22, 2009 @ 12:11 pm