One of the great joys of being a parent is watching your children grow and develop into people. It is so interesting to see all of the little things that happen, both mental/emotional and physical.
But there are some things that are less enjoyable. In my case it is the test of wills. I would suppose that there are other parents who enjoy this as much as I do but in my case I really dislike it because the Jack family is famous for building characters who have strong personalities, passion and definitive opinions on many things.
In simpler terms you could say that we are stubborn folk. My friends and family have taken great pleasure in this, you could call it a gleeful response.
They love the stories and love seeing my beautiful boy and girl give me a dose of my own medicine. Thus far I have been careful in choosing what battles I am willing to fight. Sometimes it pays more dividends to let them win occasionally.
Not to mention that I don’t want to break anyones spirit.
But it is a hard road because it is important to establish boundaries. Children need them. It helps them to grow and frankly I think that it helps to make them feel secure.
That is all well and good, but it doesn’t make some of this any easier. I feel badly fighting with them. I don’t like it, but I do it because it has to be done.
This evening my son and I had our own test of wills over bedtime. The stubborn little fool and the stubborn big fool. He was willing to lose some toys just to make his point. He stood in front of me and stared or should I say glared.
He didn’t back down easily and I readily admit that although I was irritated part of me had to smile because he acted as his father has often done and still does. There are times when I wish it was easier to just give in and give up, but it is just not in our nature.
Ann,
That story made me laugh. A rope around the waist, that is pretty darn funny.
Donna,
Hear, hear.
Kids will test a parent, no doubt about it.
Every time my kids take me to the edge, I wonder if it’s God’s way of reminding me that I was no angel myself growing up. In a way, it’s humbling and reminds me how much I love my parents for all they endured. I just hope that years from now, my boys feel this way rather than like they need intensive psychotherapy.
I don’t have kids of my own yet but my brother has a son who is showing signs of stubbornness that apparently embroidered right into our family’s DNA.
When I was 5, my dad sent me out in a blizzard with a rope around my waist because I insisted that I wanted to play outside. I wasn’t put off by the freezing temperatures or the wind and after 10 minutes or so, he hauled me back into the house. I would have stayed out there until I was a block of ice, just to prove my point.
If my kids inherit even 10% of my stubbornness, I am going to be in big trouble! 🙂