Kids Have Personalities Too!
“Hey, Patch, are those clothes finished?”
“…working on it, Mom.”
30 minutes later…
“How’s it going, son?”
“I’m doing it…”
30 minutes later…
“Hey, as soon as you finish you can go ride your bike with Anna!”
“OK, Mom, I’m folding….”
It always amazed me that certain children doing a “simple” household chore, folding clothes, could take SO long, and still never really be completely finished! Even after he thought it was done, random clothing and isolated socks still littered the folding space. I could have it done in 10 minutes–completely folded and put away!
Are there answers to these puzzling little people mysteries as we raise our children? (more…)
A Man is Not a Man Until He is a Father
This is not a biological statement. It is a character statement. Any dog can produce offspring. But dogs do not father their offspring; they could care less. Fathering means self-sacrifice.
Living Yes! Saying No
Patrick was four and Anna was six; they were playing outside on the swingset. I stopped to look out the window just to check on them. At that moment, the next-door neighbor Josh, who was seven, came over to join the fun. They were going up the ladder and down the slide over and over. Isn’t it amazing how children enjoy repetition without boredom?
Patrick had his hands on the rail to climb up, when Josh came running around for another turn. He grabbed Patrick’s arm and started to pull him away from the ladder. Patrick hung on. Josh pulled again. Patrick hung on. Josh was pulling one more time when Patrick turned his head toward Josh and yelled “NO-O-O!” in Josh’s face. Josh backed up a full step while Patrick went up the ladder.
As a young dad I was proud of my son for taking a stand.
As our children grow up they must learn to say NO to many things: to bullies, to temptation, to fear. How do we build that into them? (more…)
