Family

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On The Edge of Insanity : A Mother's Case


There they are so picture perfect. Small and barely able to do anything for themselves. You find yourself wondering, " What must they be thinking and are they always going to be so precious as they are right now?" I'd like to say yes, but the truth is it's only the honeymoon to the nightmare that will follow after.

You see the kids of today have learned to "outfox the fox". I don't know if they get together, and say to themselves, as each generation passes, " What can we say or do to make them doubt themselves or show our superiority." These days it doesn't have to be much.

For instance, just the other day I, went to my daughter and requested for her to do her chores. And as you would guess, she quite defiantly and abruptly reminded me that if I was to insist that she do her chores than I should demand that my other three sons should do the same. "After all", she also stated, "You don't hardly punish or make them do enough anyway," then abruptly stormed off before I had a chance to respond.

I ask you, " Where do they come up with this stuff." I know and often wonder " if my good tax money that I pay for their education isn't also being used for their education on us."

I'm guilty and admit that I don't help much by fueling their fire I suppose. I mean I get so irritated at their arrogance and defiant behavior, I well up with anger and reason That I'm not going to let some child that I am paying 100% support of and care for treat me this way. So I lose it, I yell and I guess I sound like a rabid dog gone mad. I guess when that Chinese proverb by Confucious states, " Patience is a Virtue," he wasn't talking about parenthood.

I can help but remember the quirky grin my mother would get on her face when I would talk about how I couldn't wait for them to grow up. Or how she would just look at me, knowing what laid ahead and how glad she wasn't the one having to do it. Or the curse she let fall from her lips so long ago when I was still young, " I hope you have a child just like you." Funny, not only did it take but I had four, Just like me!

As a Christian, the answer is clear, trust in God's direction and bring them up in the way they should go, so they will never part from it. But I have to add, if they still choose to do everything opposite at least I can rest assured that I tried.

I hope God isn't somehow keeping score or anything. But do hope and find myself saying to them, " When you grow up I hope you have a lot that are just like you and they are smarter than you so you can know how it feels." Besides, maybe then I can be assured I won't have to go through it again.

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