I got this idea from an article on Shine from Yahoo.
Growing up, I had a wonderful mother and father. I didn’t always think so at the time. They were too strict, they wouldn’t let me just run wild, they imposed limited on phone-time and a curfew. They parented me and as a teenager, I didn’t like it at all. And I rebelled, usually just yelling at them about how unfair they were being, or staying on the phone with my boyfriend after the parents went to bed. I can’t tell you how many times growing up my mother would say, “I hope you have one JUST like you, then you’ll know how it really is!”
I never paid attention to her ranting; kids were kids and my kids would be the best behaved kids ever. Delusional much?
When I had a child of my own, I was going to be this wonderful mother who attended the kids school functions and provided the cupcakes for his birthday parties at school, all while I worked full-time and kept the house immaculately. Oh and I’d have the most loving husband who was so in love with me. Like I said, delusional……….
There have been so many times over the years that I have been reminded how wonderful my parents were to me; times when Jakes was arguing with me or just not listening to me. All the hours on the road driving to and from after school activities or therapies.
I think my biggest epiphany that Mom was a saint is when Jakes would run to his room and slam his door. I slammed my door so many times and so hard while growing up, I broke the door jam. It’s so hard not to run after him and yell at him for slamming his door. How Mom did it all those years, I’ll never know!
I’m sure we can all share many stories about epiphanies as parents. Please share them in the comments! I’d love to hear them…….
i think the most important one is realizing that parents are just figuring it out...no one really knows what they are doing all the time....
ReplyDeleteI had a great relationship with my parents growing up, but I had no idea how hard it must have been to raise 4 kids until I had ONE. I have no idea how they did it, or how they survived! : )
ReplyDeleteI've been watching 19 Kids and Counting because I'm so fascinated by how the Duggars have raised 19 well behaved, polite kids! One of the things mom Michelle said was that she always uses a soft calming voice no matter if praising or reprimanding. I'm struggling with that, but 19 kids, she's got to be on to something!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was 15 I went to a party and got drunk. My dad was called and I was petrified for DAYS afterward thinking that I was still going to get it. My dad was not a yeller but when we did something wrong we were punished. As I sat for days and days waiting for the punishment to take place, my dad just let it go. A week later, I finally asked and he told me the best thing I could have done, I did. I had someone call him to pick me up rather than do something stupid.
ReplyDelete28 years later I have an 18 and 15 year old that are putting me through the same things that we put our parents through. I look back and think the hardest part was getting through that week and I am using the same tactic.
They aren't being stupid and making sure they call.