So rather than returning to the park bench, right now ... let's back up a bit, so I can show you the straw that broke the camel's back, turning my smile into that frown, which inspired my neighbor to ask what was wrong: Here I am at home with my precious little peeps, determined that the independent spirit of a two and a half year old tyke will be out of diapers by the end of the day. After all, I'd followed the pediatrician's advice to hold off on toilet training until baby brother was six months of age. And now that the calendar states that as a fact, I'm aiming to follow a friend's suggestion, which plays out in our house something like this ...
My first born, who couldn't care less about modesty, is running around our apartment naked as a jay bird, happy as a colt cantering free in the breeze. Numero uno (a pro at aiming number one into the porcelain bowl) and I have agreed that he'll let me know when he feels like ... number two. In the mean time, I'm bathing his chief rival for my attention—a cherub indeed, because no conflicts have arisen between this babe and me, as of yet ...
At some point while I'm laughing at number two splashing away in the tub, number one runs into the bath room, grabs a towel and glancing furtively at me, dashes right back out. Sensing something's up, I scoop number two out of the tub, towel him off in a jiffy, set him down safely on the rug in the nursery and concentrating solely on trailing number one, find him kneeling, bending forward in the living room, rubbing away, suspiciously, at a large, brown spot on what had been carmel colored carpet.
OMG, I think ... That was not part of the plan! On the other hand, if his plan went kaphooy, grab hold of yourself, Annie ... it's not a two year old or my friend, who's at fault. Common sense suggests that what works for one is not necessarily successful across the broad spectrum of human minds ... so swallow your frustration; soothe fear from your sweet child's eyes and help this little peep wipe today's unsuccessful experiment out of his innocent, little mind.
Though a meeting of two minds had not occurred that day, my child had grabbed the towel and ground the tell tale spot into the carpet in hopes that Mom's smile would not turn upside down, suggesting that this tyke aimed to please. And if attitude is everything then mother and child were actually half way home.
Ahhh! I thought, positive focus reduces frustration, making me feel better, already!
At that point, I remembered having left a six month old to fend for himself on the nursery rug, so after flashing a smile at number one, the camel spun around and made her way toward number two, who being naked, had deposited exactly that on the rug at the other end of the apartment. And being a curious babe, he was busy ... finger painting ...
In retrospect, futility must have grabbed control of my mind, because feeling up to my ears in you-know-what caused my best intentions to burst into tears—not because enough was enough, but because this teacher of other people's children had no clue what to do when faced with conflicts that arose with her own! I mean, where was the principal's office when I felt like marching MY children there—at home???
Though this is only one example (others to come with solutions to follow) of problem solving gone south, I'll bet you can see why frustration poured out of my mouth when my neighbor, spying my frown, had asked, ever so unsuspectingly, what might be wrong.
If ever it was time to open up and admit to confusion, it was now!
If ever it was time to seek help with formulating a problem-solving plan in a jiffy, it was now!
If ever it was time to accept that adults can not forcibly control free little spirits, it was now!
If ever it was time to open my ears to the availability of astute guidance, it was now!
If ever it was time to open my mind and absorb something truly insightful, it was now!
If asked what I learned by opening my mouth, ears and mind at the park, it was this:
Others who'd walked a path similar to mine had done more than brain storm viable solutions ...
Some had actually written a wide range of success stories, which were available for the asking!
And as I'd had the humility to open up and reach out for help ...
I'm glad to say that before too long ...
My frustrated frown had reason to spin into a great big, revitalized grin!!
And if you'd like to know how grim spun itself into this high spirited grin ...
Which tends to beam out of my core much more often than not— then
I sincerely hope you'll choose to stayed tuned into my blog :)
BTW—little known fact: A jiffy is actually defined as 1/100th of a second :)
My first born, who couldn't care less about modesty, is running around our apartment naked as a jay bird, happy as a colt cantering free in the breeze. Numero uno (a pro at aiming number one into the porcelain bowl) and I have agreed that he'll let me know when he feels like ... number two. In the mean time, I'm bathing his chief rival for my attention—a cherub indeed, because no conflicts have arisen between this babe and me, as of yet ...
At some point while I'm laughing at number two splashing away in the tub, number one runs into the bath room, grabs a towel and glancing furtively at me, dashes right back out. Sensing something's up, I scoop number two out of the tub, towel him off in a jiffy, set him down safely on the rug in the nursery and concentrating solely on trailing number one, find him kneeling, bending forward in the living room, rubbing away, suspiciously, at a large, brown spot on what had been carmel colored carpet.
OMG, I think ... That was not part of the plan! On the other hand, if his plan went kaphooy, grab hold of yourself, Annie ... it's not a two year old or my friend, who's at fault. Common sense suggests that what works for one is not necessarily successful across the broad spectrum of human minds ... so swallow your frustration; soothe fear from your sweet child's eyes and help this little peep wipe today's unsuccessful experiment out of his innocent, little mind.
Though a meeting of two minds had not occurred that day, my child had grabbed the towel and ground the tell tale spot into the carpet in hopes that Mom's smile would not turn upside down, suggesting that this tyke aimed to please. And if attitude is everything then mother and child were actually half way home.
Ahhh! I thought, positive focus reduces frustration, making me feel better, already!
At that point, I remembered having left a six month old to fend for himself on the nursery rug, so after flashing a smile at number one, the camel spun around and made her way toward number two, who being naked, had deposited exactly that on the rug at the other end of the apartment. And being a curious babe, he was busy ... finger painting ...
In retrospect, futility must have grabbed control of my mind, because feeling up to my ears in you-know-what caused my best intentions to burst into tears—not because enough was enough, but because this teacher of other people's children had no clue what to do when faced with conflicts that arose with her own! I mean, where was the principal's office when I felt like marching MY children there—at home???
Though this is only one example (others to come with solutions to follow) of problem solving gone south, I'll bet you can see why frustration poured out of my mouth when my neighbor, spying my frown, had asked, ever so unsuspectingly, what might be wrong.
If ever it was time to open up and admit to confusion, it was now!
If ever it was time to seek help with formulating a problem-solving plan in a jiffy, it was now!
If ever it was time to accept that adults can not forcibly control free little spirits, it was now!
If ever it was time to open my ears to the availability of astute guidance, it was now!
If ever it was time to open my mind and absorb something truly insightful, it was now!
If asked what I learned by opening my mouth, ears and mind at the park, it was this:
Others who'd walked a path similar to mine had done more than brain storm viable solutions ...
Some had actually written a wide range of success stories, which were available for the asking!
And as I'd had the humility to open up and reach out for help ...
I'm glad to say that before too long ...
My frustrated frown had reason to spin into a great big, revitalized grin!!
And if you'd like to know how grim spun itself into this high spirited grin ...
Which tends to beam out of my core much more often than not— then
I sincerely hope you'll choose to stayed tuned into my blog :)
BTW—little known fact: A jiffy is actually defined as 1/100th of a second :)
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