My kids are really mean
Wow...My kids are mean. I am sitting here just listening to them. They are so mean to one another. The way that they talk to one another is slightly horrifying. Why? Why in the world are they like this? I know that they learn from watching their parents. I get it. They can be the little mirrors that reflect the very worse parts of ourselves. But, I must say...I can be sarcastic and sometimes a little bit snarky, but I don't really think that I am mean. So what do I do? Ban all TV? Ban all internet and video games? Ban them from all mean people? As it is, we would have to ban them from each other... So, let's see... 9 kids, 3 bedrooms, to keep them away from one another we would have to make a few of them sleep outside at different corners of the yard. Probably not very feasible. I have been known to make them sit on the couch and hold hands for a half an hour and then have them tell each other 5 things that they love about each other. I must admit, I get a lot of joy watching that particular punishment. (Maybe I am mean?!?) I don't know. I just don't know....
Thinking back to when my brother and sister and I were younger, I guess that we fought a lot. I remember a few times when I was babysitting them that they locked me outside. (I had to go to our neighbor's house to call my parents so that they could come home and unlock the doors.) I remember my mom throwing my sister's baton over the hill because my sister had hit my brother with it. I also remember (I am horrified to admit this...) my brother and sister and I intentionally being mean to my mom to make her cry. (What was wrong with us!!!!?) We would scream at each other, proclaiming our hatred for one another. In fact, my brother and I used to make my little sister cry because we had her convinced that she had been abandoned in our mailbox by Eskimos. Ok, so maybe I am not mean now, but clearly I had a streak...
The good news...I like my brother and sister now. In fact, my sister is one of my favorite people in the world. I cannot imagine not being able to talk to her everyday. She knows me better than most people and still likes me. Probably because we are so much alike. We talk to each other about everything, kids, husbands, family, whatever. She lets me vent to her and she helps to keep me balanced. She also laughs at me when I am taking myself too seriously. She is the best thing that my parents gave me. I am hopeful that my kids will feel the same way about each other when they get older. Occasionally I see little glimmers of that now. Every once in a while, I catch them doing something nice for each other. My heart gives a little sigh of relief. I catch a little kid give a big kid a hug. Occasionally, I come across a big kid helping a little kid get a snack or a drink without being told. I guess there is hope yet. Only time will tell, but I am keeping my fingers crossed and my hands folded that eventually they will realize that the best gifts that their dad and I gave them were each other.
posted by Unknown @ 6:03 AM
1 Comments
1 Comments:
aMEN.
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home