On Not Sweating the Small Stuff….
Over the weekend I was catching up on my blog reading, and was delighted to find the following poem on Susan K Mann’s fabulous blog.
If I had my child to raise over again – by Diana Loomans.
If I had my child to raise over again.
I’d finger paint more, and point the finger less.
I’d do less correcting, and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less, and know to care more.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I’d run through more fields, and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging, and less tugging.
I would be firm less often, and affirm much more.
I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I’d teach less about the love of power,And more about the power of love.
It’s really beautiful, and for me (as I’m sure it will for many) served as something of a timely reminder about my priorities. We’re all so busy, we all work so hard so you’d think we’d all be sure to make the most of the time that we do have with our children.
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Competitive Parents
Some people are more competitive than others, it’s a fact of life. I have to confess that I have a competitive streak – oddly enough about things that really don’t matter. Things like Singstar (I just have to win). Things also once got pretty ugly between my husband and me over a game of scrabble… He was winning, I kept getting rubbish letters and… well suffice to say it’s not a game we play any more!
The competitive parents at the school gates are something that every parent is all too familiar with. You know – the one whose little darling could walk at four weeks and had composed a symphony at 13 months whilst simultaneously studying for their law degree.
It’s horrible.
What’s worse is that competitive parents can breed competition – so if you’re not careful you can find yourself sucked into the same sort of petty one-upmanship.
Surviving the Supermarket
Thank goodness for 24 hour supermarkets. Often I tuck the little ones up in bed and leave the hubby to watch them and then go off to the supermarket all by myself. Late at night it’s often nigh on heavenly… Or as close to heavenly as the weekly shop can get!
I recognise of course that I am really very lucky – I have a 24 hour store nearby, and of course someone on hand to look after the children for me when I go.
Others of course have no option but to brave the supermarket with their children in tow. But how can you make the process (relatively) pain-free?
Dealing with Other People’s Children
Pretty much everyone who works at Perform deals with other people’s children on a regular basis.
For the most part, the children are pretty well behaved. They are often high spirited so the challenge is normally getting them to focus their energies. But of course from time to time we do have to deal with more serious behaviour; for example if a child is doing something that might be dangerous either to themselves or to others.
But, in my own experience, when it comes to taking care of other people’s children in a home environment – for example if your child has friends over for tea – dealing with bad behaviour can be quite a minefield.
Every parent has different ideas when it comes to correcting behaviour; so how do you deal with it? Is it a case of your house, your rules? But what if your rules differ from the child’s own “house rules”? It’s tricky isn’t it?
