Feeling Like Good Parents
About two weeks ago Peter and I were making supper together. He was on biscuit detail. Miss A decided that her Dada needed her assistance. I was making turkey meatballs so my hands were a mess and Peter's were covered in dough and flour so neither of us were able to stop her.
We were both standing there cringing as she became covered in flour but then we stopped and realized – Hey, she's having fun. The flour would come off and eating some dough wouldn't kill her. We relaxed. We even let her use the cookie cutter to help make the biscuits.
Eventually she became bored and discovered that making supper is hard work. I think you can see that here in her expression. (the same expression I wear when I am making supper) I brushed the flour off and away she went.
It was a neat moment (or few moments) for Peter and I. We realized that sometimes we are so busy telling her to not touch that, be careful, don't do that, get down... that we forget to let her just have fun. When we saw how happy she was to just get up there and 'help' even though we knew it would be an awful mess, it was worth it.
I predict that Miss A will teach us many lessons like this one along the way. Getting her parents to just lighten up already! Parenting is a journey, isn't it?
4 comments:
and you will relearn and relearn and then learn it all better as you go (at least that is the case with me)!
Sometimes I have no idea that a kiddo has hit a milestone until they just DO, and I have to do exactly what y'all did... sort of make a sustained "flinch face" and let them do it.
It's always messy though. I think there is a rule, it HAS to be messy , whatever it is they "help" with.
Whoa, when did Miss A become all "big girl" already?! Look at her - she looks so mature! I love the "ho hum" expression. How neat that she was able to help out. Yes, these are the fun moments in life. Even with my 3rd, I forget about them all the time. Or maybe because it's my third and I know what kind of damage can be done? Thanks for reminding all of us to keep the spirit of childhood. :)
I'm glad you let her "help" out. They do have fun doing that sort of thing. I have a hard time letting it go sometimes too but it's worth it when you see the smiles on their faces.
Leelee loves to use the rolling pin and cutters when we bake or "wash" the unbreakable dishes in the soapy water. She may make a mess but the amount of time it takes to clean it up is way less than fighting about why she can't do something.
You are absolutely right about that. Sometimes you just have to let them get dirty to realize that its not as fun as it looks. Boo likes to "help" me wash dishes. I usually do them right before his bath time so it doesn't matter that he gets a presoak!
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