The Reality of Children

Hello again you crazy kids!

I'm back again. I know, I normally don't do Mondays (BELIEVE me I really don't do Mondays!) But for reasons inscrutable to us mere mortals (ie. I forgot why) I am here again today.

I love my kids. And they are always such nuggets of unfiltered truth. My husband was on the receiving end last week with our littlest proclaiming "Dada has big boobies."  I was on the receiving end last night with the older boy proclaiming, "Mama has a big belly! Mama has a big belly!" But,  dwelling on what wonderful children I have brought about an epiphany for me while roasting my butt off mowing my lawn late yesterday.

This is how it went down in my head:

So, Vinny (my older boy) is more like me than I thought. He really is a mini-me, which last night culminated in a life lesson that he has been teaching me but I haven’t been listening to.

This whole potty training thing. We’ve been at it for YEARS!　 It is something that has to be done. And he has gone at it and gotten halfway but either has gotten comfortable or just does not want to get completely there. We’ve tried everything: encouragement, shaming, bribing…nothing works.　 Every time he soils himself and we have to change him he cries and says, "But I want to be a big boy!" And I tell him over and over again that only he can make that decision. None of us can do it for him or make him do it. He just needs to decide to do it.

Well, while mowing the previously mentioned lawn last night I realized I am doing the exact same thing!  And how am I supposed to teach my kid if I am essentially doing the same thing?!　 I’ve been trying to get into shape for years. I’ve gone about it half-heartedly. I’ve tried so many things to get into shape. When I don’t, I just get upset that it’s not working and go all "poor me".　 Well crap, that sounds familiar!　Those words were really echoing in my ears while mowing. "Only he (I) can make that decision. None of us can do it for him (me) or make him (me) do it. He (I) just needs to decide to do it."

Thank you for the B-Slap Reality. I think I get it now.

 

Until the muses tell me it's time to write again,

 

UltimateJiinx007