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Monday, September 20, 2010

snapped.

i give my kids pretty much whatever they want.
i'm not saying their spoiled.
but they are spoiled.

football season means lots of green and orange (CANES PRIDE!) around this place.
including some little headbands for the girls.
they wear headbands almost every single day.
i thought it was a nice touch.
they are soooo matchy matchy, afterall... this would make saturday-morning-headband-choosing-easy.

i thought it would be nice to get them these little $6 headbands.
they were definitely excited to see them in the mail.
i thought they were appreciative.

and then tonight happened.
the girls were off playing in their room when sophie prances out to me proudly declaring:
 
"LOOK AT WHAT EMMA DID!"

that headband was snapped.  fifty different ways.  it was obvious it was an intentional malicious act on that poor headband.  which is why i snapped when i heard emma give me this lame excuse that it was an accident.  that sucker was pulverized.  when the truth came out it was all done in the name of a laugh. 

*****

i try to raise my kids to be appreciative.  i try to raise them to know everything is considered a gift, nothing is to be expected, and nobody is entitled to anything.  over these last few years i have been associated with way too many people that think they are entitled to things just because of who they are and who they represent.  {remember this?}  i have no patience for it.  and so when my own child acts entitled, not only do i feel like a failure, but i feel beyond disappointed.

she had no appreciation for the cost of that sucker.  no appreciation for the fact that she ever DIDN'T have it.  no appreciation for the fact that it made her saturday-morning-headband-choosing-easy.

she has a better appreciation now that she's paid me all of her money {$3} and owes me another $3. 

motherhood is one tricky J-O-B... i mean, i look like an S-O-B all in the name of trying to be a better M-O-M.  it's a small price to pay for a big lesson in life, i suppose, but i definitely hated seeing those tears stream down her face tonight.  it does break a mother's heart.... and i do have a heart.

just not a patient heart when it comes to entitlement.

is that so wrong?

1 comment:

  1. you did the right thing by making her pay for the headband... kids will be kids, but this is how they learn the value of a dollar. no regrets!

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