Parenting and Patience

Abundance of patience is the main key in effectively raising a child with a good character. This is one of the things I constantly pray when I finally became a Mom, that I may have all the patience needed especially when things go out of hand.

Last night at the grocery, while waiting at the cashier's lane, there were two little girls maybe around age 2 and 4, running back and forth and giggling as they touch the candy stalls which eventually fell off because of their curiosity. I thought, this is normal for kids, being playful comes out of them naturally that sometimes it is way overboard for adults to handle. I've seen that with Daphne too, and sometimes she becomes more giddy when there are people around. When she's really in the mood, she can't stay in one place for 5 minutes and when we tell her "no" or "don't do that", she is more prone to doing it herself as if testing our reactions. Yeah, sometimes I feel like having a heart attack when she attempts to put her fingers in our small desk fan.

Going back to those little girls whom I later found out are accompanied by their pregnant mom, her initial reaction is to scream at her kids and then attempted to pull the hair of the older sister. I'm not gonna type what she said here as it literally sound so awful. I understand her frustrations, she may be in a difficult situation aside from what I'm currently seeing but I asked myself, is it really worth screaming those words in a crowd of strangers? How will this action influence the character of these kids? How will these affect their self-esteem? Well, these kids may not be thinking about it but if this kind of behaviour is commonly seen at their home until such time they become young adults, I'm pretty sure there is something negative that will be developed. That scared the hell out of me and led me to question my ability to raise my child. I know parents should use a clear, sharp language in teaching what's right or wrong as it hones the mental and emotional compass of the child. And if a punishment is a reasonable act, it should still be served with a loving heart.

Oh. I know it's still a long way ahead and after that momentarily self-realization, I was mentally shrugged by the thought that I have my husband who helps in maintaining the needed balance. We talk a lot about Daphne before going to sleep and it helps a lot. In fact, he encouraged ourselves to avoid spanking our child as much as we can. We both know that hurting isn't always the resort if you aim to discipline. I agreed, even if I objected at first, but we both commited that there is a proper time for that. Not as of yet. And we are still learning the best ways and improving ourselves from each stage. In line with this post, I found a wonderful quote that applies to us.

It's not only children who grow.  Parents do too.  As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours.  I can't tell my children to reach for the sun.  All I can do is reach for it, myself.  ~ Joyce Maynard

Happy weekend to all!

Much Love,

OneGutsyMom

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