A Tale Of A Parental Ride
There are days when the constant complaining and questions and needs from your child take a toll. It’s like being pushed faster and faster on a merry-go-round, making you dizzy. And when you get to that point, for some odd reason (I think it’s called being a parent) you end up saying something nonsensical. Okay, straight up stupid.
We were having dinner at the table and my six year-old was super antsy and very talkative, he wouldn’t sit down and had ache after ache, and problem after problem to spin this particular night. There was nothing seriously wrong with him and I think he continued with this behavior because he knew it was starting to get to me. I wonder where he learned that.
Suddenly, I looked up from my plate and said to Azul with my eyebrows raised, “You know what you need?”
“What?” He responded as he stopped in mid-sentence of another complaint.
“A good dose of suck it up.” Whaaat!?! Where did that come from? Where could I have even picked that up? Who says that? Oh, I’m dizzy!
The spinning in my head stopped, along with everything else. That statement caused a brief moment of silence and then, laughter! All the complaining cease and we continued dinner laughing and repeating, “You know what you need? A good dose of suck it up!”
I’m still a little embarrassed over that statement, but I know what I need to get over it.
Fully Charged
Like many families these days, we are device dependent. We have our family laptop, Azul has his Kindle (which he has had since he was five), and I of course have my smartphone with me 24/7. We use all of them and sometimes all at the same time. I don’t really have a problem with using technology, I think it’s a useful resource and knowing how to correctly use technology is a skill best learned young. I mean, have you ever tried to teach a grandparent how to login TO ANYTHING!?! Ugh!!! Well, it seems as if my six and a half year-old fully understands the importance of and our dependency on devices.
“If you go to Heaven or Hell, I’ll throw your phone and charger to you so you can call me,” Azul said to me.
“Thank you my love. And thanks for including my charger, that’s something everyone forgets,” I responded to my technologically responsible child.
Kids are the best.
I am done! Today has been rough and I am feeling beyond maxed out. All I want is to go to bed, curl up in the fetal position with my eyes closed and end this day. But, I still have my parental duties to attend to, so I push myself with the last of my sanity to get our bedtime routine completed; PJs on, teeth brushed, books read and blankets tucked.
We say our final “good night,” “sweet dreams,” and with an “I love you” the evening’s last kisses are given. I head to the door, grab the doorknob, turn my head back one final time to glow of the nightlight and hear my six year-old say to me in a whispered voice, “I like you as my mommy.”
With a sigh and watery eyes, I reply, “I like me as your mommy too.”
One sweet tender display of endearment from my son brought me back from my taxing day and at that point all I was thinking was kids are the best.
Carmelina Hart 