Anyway, she wrote a thoughtful post about her daughter and the big-ticket things she may or may not be picking up at daycare (and by 'picking up, I mean learning...not slipping gold watches and remotes into the diaper bag hoping no one will notice like some babies I know...ahem...Little G...ahem) and asked what 'our' thoughts were on teaching our kids our own values and helping them through what the world might teach them in our absence.
I started to reply and realized that my response was becoming a post in of itself...so in the continuing theme of the week, I am not actually posting today but instead making you read my response to someone else's post.
Fun, no?
So here's what I had to say:
Well...I haven't had many moments to teach Little G our values since he's just coming up on a year and really I'm just struggling trying to teach him not to pinch mommy and bring back all the suppressed memories of my sister pinching-and-twisting me as a torture device when we were kids.
A couple of times I have looked at him on the changing table (not sure why there and not anywhere else) and wondered if I should start chatting about God since that's where I also chat about the days of the week and what arms are and why we don't smack mommy with them. But I stop because 1) I feel silly and B) I figure he knows more about God than I do and is probably laying there half naked thinking 'it may seem like all I want to do is play with my poop, but really, I am a messenger... Ironically, I will have forgotten all the knowledge I brought with me about God once my memory kicks in which apparently is around the age of two'.Of course, since the teaching moments we currently have all seem to be in vain (seriously, he thinks being 'redirected' is a game) I have had to have other mom's confirm to me that it may seem like he isn't listening or doesn't 'get it' but I just have to keep staying the course of discipline and one day he will understand not to reach out to mommy with his pinchers of steel and gleefully try to rip freckles off my clavical.
I am assuming that is probably the way we will need to teach him everything; not just by telling him, but by 'redirecting' him into better situations until one day he 'gets it'. This will encompass everything from how we speak to him about other people to how we observe the situations around us to what our reactions are to them. It is a lot to think about, especially when there will be so much else to help them learn.
It really is enough to make your mind go blank, isn't it? Or at least make you look at other parents and wonder how anyone ever successfully raises a child in this world what with all the things we need to be on top of; eating right, living sustainably, playing responsibly, being a good person, knowing who God is and what He/She means to not only yourself but others, understanding race and culture and why it is important not to get a Fruit Loop stuck up your nose; love, empathy, faith... ... ...oy.
Let me know if you get that Fruit Loop thing figured out.
ReplyDeleteI was going to share a more in depth response, but since I'm years away from having children myself, I can't say how I'll feel when I'm actually there.
ReplyDeleteThese are good things to think about--what a huge responsibility to be a parent!!