When I was around 20 I started to know a whole lot about how to raise other people's kids. I did not have children. I did not want children... but I did know that when I
did want and have children, they would not behave like those kids in the mall that hid from their mother under the Nordstrom clothing racks like some kind of freaky little special-ops ninja. I also knew that they would not say things like "you can't make me" when I told them to clean their room, yell out "take that you fool" while pretending to shoot the guy in the pew next to us during church, or write their initials all over the upholstery of my Volkswagen van with a bright blue Sharpie... (including the top of their baby brother's little bald head.)
What I
did not know, however, was that every time I thought to myself "my child will never do
that" God would dig through his personnel files and pick out the kids who he knew would
totally do "that"...and then he would send out a memo to the shipping department that said essentially "Hey, you know how we didn't know where in the heck to send this one? Well, I just found him a spot. By the way, clear your schedule, because you're gonna want to watch this. Oh, and pull up that training video "Pride and You". I think we'll be able to get some updated footage."
I'm pretty sure that babies start out as babies primarily so that you can start out kidding yourself into thinking that
you are the reason that they are so squishy and cute. You can believe that they sit up because you are a good mother, and use the baby sign language to ask for more freshly steamed sweet potatoes because you are a good mother, and learn to walk in uncomfortable shoes like a proper human being because you are a good mother. We
say it's all about the baby, but really it's mostly about "Hey look what my kid can do. Don't you think I'm a good mom?" This is a trap ladies... and I'll tell you why. Eventually you are going to take your above average child to a Zumba class at your church and while you are doing your ab work at the end of your "wow, I didn't know I was Latin" exercise extravaganza he will walk over to some random lady who has clearly done more sit-ups than is healthy... and kick her. Just like that. (This actually happened to my friend of mine... a good friend and a good mom). All I'm saying is that if you start thinking that the reason your child has the talents, or disposition or personality that they do because of something you control... when they turn beasty, you're in for a massive identity crisis.
Don't get me wrong. I believe that parents play a huge role in the development of a child, but I've known too many good moms who feel totally defeated when faced with a child who came with a little more fire, or tears or hatred of seams than everyone else things they should have.
Really good moms who have had to put up with the comments about "if you'd just let her cry it out then she'd sleep"...or "if he's hungry enough he'll eat it"...or "it looks like you've got your hands full"... Which is what
I got to hear from a total stranger last week when I turned around at the park to find my 4 year old son, bum exposed to the world, peeing in the flower bed. I looked her right in the eye and said "You know, I'm never quite sure what people are trying to tell me when they say that". Then, I pulled up my son's pants, told him (really loudly so that every mom within earshot could hear) "good job keeping those pants dry buddy" and headed for the car... with my pointy chin held high... totally embarrassed and wondering how I could be so bad at this mothering thing after almost 11 years.
... maybe I'll just blame his father for this one.
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