I work part time at an outdoor store for at least three reasons that I will not share here. There is a family that comes in regularly just before closing. Usually it is a father and his two daughters. One is 7 the other is 4. There are some knitted Frisbees in the store. The last time they were in I played catch with the four year old. Her sister had bought one of the Frisbees a few weeks ago and she told me all about it. Tonight she brought it to show me.
Her dad decided to try on some wading boots; he is an avid fly fisherman. As he was trying them on he was describing the way he fishes. He described himself as a nomad saying, “I hate to stay in one place.”
The four year old was standing to my left holding the Frisbee, she had a really solemn look on her face, she is really serious, and really cute, she stepped toward her daddy and said in a quiet, serious voice, “We do not say ‘hate’ daddy.”
He responded, “Oh, you are right, thank you, I really do not like to stay in one place…”
It was all that I could do to keep from falling off of my chair laughing. I think I hurt a rib holding it in.
You may not think that what you are saying to your kids penetrates. It does.
This dad, by the way handled that superbly. He acknowledged and received the correction from his 4 year old child. He affirmed and reinforced what he and his wife are teaching their girls. He communicated to her that her words were weighty and important and immediately corrected himself restating his sentence in the manner he wished her to speak.
It was funny, it was awesome, it was good – no great, parenting.
The four year old was standing to my left holding the Frisbee, she had a really solemn look on her face, she is really serious, and really cute, she stepped toward her daddy and said in a quiet, serious voice, “We do not say ‘hate’ daddy.”
He responded, “Oh, you are right, thank you, I really do not like to stay in one place…”
It was all that I could do to keep from falling off of my chair laughing. I think I hurt a rib holding it in.
You may not think that what you are saying to your kids penetrates. It does.
This dad, by the way handled that superbly. He acknowledged and received the correction from his 4 year old child. He affirmed and reinforced what he and his wife are teaching their girls. He communicated to her that her words were weighty and important and immediately corrected himself restating his sentence in the manner he wished her to speak.
It was funny, it was awesome, it was good – no great, parenting.
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