A sampling of some of the things I said on Tuesday:
Mia, I told you to get dressed, why are you still playing? Go! Now!
Lauren. LAUREN! Calm down, honey! You're fine!
Take a bite, sweetie. You need to eat, not play. Take. A. Bite.
GIRLS! If you can't figure out a way to share those ponies, I'm taking them away.
Amelia Marie, LISTEN to me.
Lauren Jade, listen to ME.
::And it wasn't a bad day, by any means. We played all day, never left the house, shared meals and baths and snuggles without much ado. It certainly wasn't a day I would consider to have been difficult. So why, looking back, do I feel so irritated by myself? So vaguely dissatisfied? Because this is what a day could have sounded like::
A sampling of some of the things my girls said yesterday:
Mom, do you know how water turns into ice? I do. It just goes WHOOOSH and then spins fast and fast and fast and ... slower...and ... slow... er ... and ... then ... it spins sooooo slow ... that it just ... stops. And it's frozen!
Mama! I didn't get outta my bed but I just closed my eyes, and went RIGHT to sleep! But I was ready to get up, and...and I DIDN'T go pee-pee in my bed!
This girl at my school, mom? She doesn't really ever talk much. She's just...nice. But SO so so quiet......Um...no. I don't really ask her to play, but...yeah. I might sometime. She's the littlest one there. And Ethan is the biggest.
Moooooom! This Tiana doll is my *special* toy, and I can't share it because this is the ONE thing I don't share. I love her too much! Lauren, you can't play with her yet. Okay? Here. You can have Baby Julie, okay Lauren?
Mama look! Look, mama! I can have Baby Julie! Oooohhhh baby, it's okay, baby! Mama will take care of you! Here's your blankie, Julie! Um, mama? Can you watch my Julie baby? I just have a meeting. Okay! I love you! Bye! Oh! I forgot a kiss!
Paying attention every day; listening every moment; interaction, rather than instruction. Before the moments disappear into a cloud of disinterested adolescence, when they might not want me to hear anything at all.
Why do I sometimes forget?
Where have you seen the Bigger Picture lately? Something grand in the mundane? Something small with giant implications? Link your post below, and thank you for sharing your Bigger Picture Moment!
Beautiful post. You captured a lesson that we all need to keep in the forefront of our minds - to listen more. As my Daddy says "God gave you 2 ear and 1 mouth for a reason."
ReplyDeleteThat is so sweet. It really is so wonderful when we just stop and listen to what they're saying. If only I had a tape recorder on my 24/7 to capture all those precious little thoughts. Great post!
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, the listening thing. How often do we compell our kids to listen when we should, indeed, be compelling ourselves! Great BPM, Sarah!!
ReplyDeleteMy personal challenge is to STOP, shut up, and think before I speak. It's so easy to be rushed and jump to conclusions before I know the whole story or to say the first thing that pops into my mind.
ReplyDeleteThat first thought is the killer. Usually those need to be filtered and either thrown out completely or reworded for gentleness.
Beautiful post full of truth!
Ahh yes listening instead of just hearing and doing...I wish my last few mornings were as nice as yours! I need to remember to slow down, and listen. Because if I won't take the time to listen to them, why should they listen to me?
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful lesson!