Have you ever said something that was perceived the wrong
way? You meant it one way, but the person you were speaking to took it another?
I know I sure have—more times than I can count. I also remember an occasion or
two when my kids did the same…
Olivia was always singing and dancing her way everywhere
when she was little. And one day when she was three or four, as we were making
our way through the parking lot of the grocery store, she was belting out the
words, “She’s got the red on, and I’ve got the blue” (her version of Alan Jackson’s “She’s Got The Rhythm And I’ve
Got The Blues”).
I also remember the time Elizabeth was explaining why she
needed some extra school supplies for a class she was taking. Initially I didn’t
get everything she needed because I didn’t understand the reasoning behind what
she’d said. In my mind there was no reason for her to need….
Oh, and then there was the time I needed help with something
ASAP, to which Emma responded, “I’ll be there in a minute.” In my mind ‘in a
minute’ wasn’t good enough. But what I didn’t know (and couldn’t see) was that
she was changing Mack’s dirty diaper when I called her. So yes, she really did
need a minute or two to respond.
The point I want to make is that as parents (and even
grandparents and spouses) we are often guilty of assuming we know what our kids
are thinking, feeling, or saying when in fact, we aren’t. Just because we think
we know what they mean, doesn’t make it so. And just because we don’t get the
response when we want it and the way we want it, doesn’t mean we’ve gotten the
wrong response.
It’s not our job or even our right to tell our kids what they are
thinking. And it’s not our right to expect or demand that they respond the way
we want them to every single time. Our job is to teach them how to think for themselves, how to discern right from wrong, and how to express themselves appropriately.
As parents we need to give our kids the freedom and grace to share their
thoughts and feelings openly and honestly with respect—and FYI, respect doesn’t
mean always seeing things your way. Respect means acknowledging one another
lovingly and graciously.
So parents, let’s not reserve ‘show and tell’ just for
school (do they even do that anymore?). Let’s show and tell our kids how much
we love them by letting them show and tell us what they think, how they feel,
and who they really are.
Love,
Momma D
Copyright 2017 Darla Noble. No part of this can be used or copied without permission from the author.
