All of us have had those moments when we beat ourselves up over and over again for doing something "wrong" with our kids. We wonder if there is any way our kids will grow up to be normal adults because we are messing up so bad. And then, every once in awhile, we get a glimmer of hope. I got one of those gems today.
My boys have a book called, "It's OK to Be Different." It's by Todd Parr (if you want to check it out) and we got it as a gift. It talks a lot about how it's ok if you are not like everybody else. Well, we've read that book a lot and my oldest son is always excited about the page that talks about how it's ok to have a pet worm. Out of all the things that it talks about, how could that be the only thing he gets out of it? But, he's a boy so I never put much stock in it.
Then we watched "The Land Before Time" (remember that movie? Total classic!) and the dinosaurs started talking about how three horns don't play with long necks. My oldest asked me what that meant and I tried my best to explain that it meant that they weren't playing together because they were different. Then he unexpectedly walks up to the TV and says to the dinosaurs, "It's ok to be different. You can play together." I was completely blown away.
When I realized what he had said and where it came from, I was so happy that my husband and I had created such a sweet little boy. He understood something we had taught him and he was able to apply it to a situation without any intervention from us. We did something right! But we cannot stop here. This is the first of many lessons that he needs to learn in life.
I give you this story because it is always easy to look at the negative and destroy ourselves as parents when our kids make mistakes. When you get a moment like this (and I promise you will), hand on to it as hard as you can. Bring it back to your mind when things get tough. You will be surprised at what your little ones will teach you, if you are open to receiving it.
