A few years ago I read a book by Kevin Lehman about parenting. I don't remember the exact title. All I remember is that it said something about 'not losing your mind' on the cover. My mother-in-law picked it up for me when it caught her eye at the store. This should say something about my skills as a stay-at-home mom. I'm typically frazzled, sloppy, and exhausted. I probably do need a manual- not sure that it would help though. As the girls are getting older, I'm getting a better handle on it. There were definitely times that I felt as though I'd go crazy. Maybe I should have spaced the girls out a little more- or at least kept them in playpens til they were 5.
Anyway, the book was based on his principles of 'reality discipline.' The gist of it was to let your kids learn from their actions and choices through the natural consequences. Of course there are limitations, and at the time of reading it, my girls were so little I had no idea where to apply this method. But it did make a lot of sense to me. I don't want my kids growing up in a bubble. I try hard not to 'overparent' the girls - but they are still kind of young so their freedom is of course age appropriate. So far so good. They have the skills they need for their current station in life. They know how to handle bullies and disappointment. I'm doing okay.
Yesterday we had a natural 'reality discipline' occurrence in our household. It's little- but it's funny and it's something we all need to learn along the way. Bodily functions are important. They are up there with personal hygiene and manners. So here's what happened.
Lea comes off the bus around 4:00. She's always starving which is apparently a common trait for kids after school. Yesterday I told her to have a couple of pickles. Yippee! She sure does love her pickles. So she tells me that the pickles were gone so she drank the juice. I have let her have sips before, but wow- she drank a jar of Claussen extra garlic straight up. Hm. (yuk.)
Dinner time comes. We all sit down, Lea says BRB. Calls me to the bathroom a few minutes later. I'm a mom. We see everything- they have this strange need to share EVERYTHING. Alright, poor you, etc. Within 5 minutes, she's gone again. This eventually led to a 45 minute stint in the bathroom. You get the picture I'm sure. Now being a frazzled spaz of a mom, I'm thinking she's got a virus and she'll probably miss school tomorrow, bummer.
Eventually, spasms have retreated, pajamas are on. It suddenly dawns on me that consuming 10 ounces of garlic, vinegar and salt would likely cause tummy problems. Yay, no virus, schools back on. I shout to Lea, "Hey Lea- it was just the pickle juice!" and she's says something like 'duh- I figured that out a long time ago mom.' Now this may sound really stupid- but for me it was an Aha! moment. My babies are definitely growing up.
I wonder if she'll ever drink the pickle juice again?
