Whew.
oh, the pressure.
The pressure to have it all together, all the time, with perfect children. Well, don't worry, I don't fall to the pressure. :) I don't have it all together and I don't have perfect children. But yesterday, I breathed a sigh of relief. .....Whew.
I took Ian to his Kindergarten Dr. appointment. I waited until the morning to deliver the news that he would be getting a shot. (or a few...) Since the flu shot is mostly a mist now, he hasn't had one that he was old enough to remember. Of course, that sent him into whiny convulsions that he was NOT going to get a shot. We tried give him pep talks, bribe scenarios, and finally let him know, it wasn't a choice. This was the only way he would be able to go to Kindergarten. Since we are doing Sawtooth Relay this weekend, and the last 2 weeks have been insane, I really needed to go running. So I dropped off the kids at the baby sitter's, went running, and returned to pick Ian up. He was in a pleasant mood when I arrived, he mentioned the shot in passing, with no anxiety or anticipation. (Thank you GOD!) I took him to his appointment and filled out the development questionnaire. First thought: Thank God I can bring him to his appointments now without stressing about how well it will go. Second thought: Wow, if I hadn't purposefully taught him this, (and quizzed him a thousand times) he wouldn't know this stuff....
It seems like ages 0-2.5 years, you are trying to make sure they reach all their milestones, that they are talking ....and you are really training them to follow rules and standards (during the off season of temper tantrums). The next 2 years, you have all this information that you have to secure, as well as many skills that need to be mastered. They won't get them all at once, so you hope along the way, you are pacing them enough so they will make it by 5. You feel like you need to give them enough social exposure, enough academic exposure/teaching/practice, enough imaginative opportunities, and a balanced life of discipline. (uggg)
You are constantly wondering if you are giving them enough bonding time, healthy foods, exercise, and teaching/modeling the nature of God. You are constantly wondering if you are doing enough.
The doc even asked me if they have ever had swimming lessons.....(which I luckily could say, "Yes, he's done 2 years.") But do you know how much work that was hauling them off to swimming lessons? The doc asked him his birthday, and he knew it. Whew. I had a 2nd grader this year that didn't know his birthday. (and he hasn't been the first) It probably was never something he could never look forward to. :(
I do feel like parenting is the most important job I have, but sometimes I feel like I don't get to give it as much as I would like. So the fear is always that I'm missing things. Missing things to give them. That they're missing things.... Not material things, but experiences, learning, practice,.....
As I sat there, I was just reminded of how purposeful parenting has to be. Some things, yes, they will just pick them up on their own. Other things- they will never be exposed to if I don't do it. (or they will years after they should be).
*Oh, and the shot- he didn't cry one tear. He was so brave. A little different response than I remember 5 years ago in that office when he was 5 lbs .........for his circumcision. I cried that day watching him.
Whew.
We'll see if I still say that after his first calls from Kinder.
Libby hasn't been talking much at all. Months ago she said Ma-ma consistently but then just stopped. But just yesterday she began saying "Ma-maaaa" over and over to me. She just brings us all to smiles. She is trying to cruise around and walk now. She's a pretty fast crawler for having such a big booty! :)
Luke finally mastered his pedals on his bike. That's a whew just because I was running out of patience. (just in time to need some more for no-training wheels era...)
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