Imagine That

Imagine being a 2 year old just figuring out what this world is about. Like a sponge soaking up everything around me. Sometimes I forget what it is like but in the same breath I feel the pressure of what it is to teach and guide someone who is looking to me to be their teacher.  I knew since the moment my son was born that I wanted to be his protector. But being his teacher I never imagined the weight that this title would carry. I have to show him right from wrong. But I also have to teach him that everything in life won’t be that simple. 

Everything, every reaction, every movement, every word, he sees. He is learning how to be a human being from me. He is getting his likes and dislikes from me. He is getting his humor, his love, his intolerance from me. I mean I never imagined all of these little things. When I was pregnant or even before dreaming about having children I thought of the grander things. Like having a best friend, taking him to his first day of school being there for proms, weddings everything. I thought of every thing except EVERY LITTLE thing.

“ I thought of every thing except EVERY LITTLE thing.”

So now being more aware of every little thing, I spend more time looking at things from a child’s prospective. While days when I am in a rush I am still in a rush lol but I can understand my son’s lack of urgency. Being late has no meaning to him at this point. So I make more time. These sayings; because I said so and do as I say not as I do, where drilled into me as a child for as long as I can remember. I  am in the phase of WHY. Why do I do this mom, but why do I do that mom?  When he asks these questions, they are valid. But it is so easy for me to get frustrated and say because I said so rather than explain myself. Really when my son is asking why, it is because he looking for understanding. It is my job to give him that understanding and clarity. So regularly I have to  remind myself to imagine I was him looking for just a little understanding. It all comes back down to having that insurmountable amount of patience. Let’s tack on understanding to that statement. 

“Parenting requires an insurmountable amount of patience AND understanding.”