Have you ever witnessed or experienced a “Wal-Mart moment”
with a child? The child is begging, the mom is trying her best to not give in.
The child is winning. Finally, the mom surrenders to her child’s demands. The
child is satisfied for ten seconds and then asks for more.
I’ve gotten old enough that I care enough not to care what
someone thinks of me. I have been known to lean over and in a gentle “motherly”
voice say, “Please don’t give in. If you give in now, your child won’t listen
to you when she’s sixteen. By the time she turns twenty-six, you won’t even
know where to find her, so please, don’t give in today.”
The shocked mom usually stares at me in amazement and exclaims,
“I just want my child to be happy.”
To which I usually reply, “Oh, no, no you don’t. Your goal isn’t to make your
child happy but to help your child find joy.”
From our heart to yours~
From our heart to yours~
