I turn around to see my son crinkle a blue foil in his hand.
My heart suddenly stops. “Where did you get that?”
“It was in a jar, up in the cabinet.”
Oh no. My worst fears have come true.
The kids discovered my hiding spot … you know the place you keep the good stuff hidden away? Such as the chocolate that is supposed to be off limits to small people.
So your family is piling up the laundry, dirty dishes are waiting for you in the sink, and your children ran through the mud and tracked it through the house. You’d think this would all put you over the edge, driving you into the depths of despair.
You will never be able to get it all done, let alone have any spare time for yourself.
But you’ve got to put away these negative thoughts, and look at things in a new light. Just tell your kids (and your spouse) to go at it … get in there and make those messes. Cheer them on even.
As the debris start accumulating, you stay relaxed and take it all in stride. After all, you know how to keep your cool. In fact, snacks and juice all around! Anything for your family.
Have you ever noticed that cartoon characters make a statement with the way they dress? Some choose only to wear pants, while others wear shirts, then some are fully dressed, and yet others run around with absolutely nothing on. What’s the significance of who wears what?
I’ve figured out most of the main cartoon characters are wearing some clothes, but then their friends and pets often don’t wear clothes at all. But yet, they are all animals. Do the artists just get tired by the time they draw the supporting characters? All I can say is, while it’s obviously hard being the friend of someone famous, my advice is always to dress for the job you want, not the job you have.
You give an adult an empty box, and they think, what am I missing? Obviously, you must have forgotten something.
You give a child the same empty box, and they are off on a grand adventure … suddenly they’re out for a drive, playing house, traveling to space, or perhaps just hanging out in their turtle shell.
People always joke that children enjoy the box or bag as much as the gift. And it’s probably true. Of course, they will always love toys, but to children, empty boxes aren’t just that, they are full of possibility.
A mother is naturally the caregiver in the family. She has the kiss to cure a boo-boo, the hug that dries away the tears, the cake that makes you forget your worries, and a song to send you to sleep. A mother takes on the role of being the rock, the mast carrying the sails and the glue that holds everyone together.
You end up doing so much for your children, it’s hard to know where to draw the line. You want your children to be independent, but you also want what’s best for them. And sometimes, a mother knows best. OK, we always know best. It’s difficult to let your children make their own decisions – especially when you know they are the wrong ones. It becomes hard not to be a bit of a smother.
