Just Kids

I sometimes forget that my kid are kids and don't need to act like mini adults.  They are spontaneous, excited, in awe of life and the world, creative.  *Maybe I need to be more like a kid*

I usually have this problem with Ariel.  She is 3 and the middle baby girl.  I know she is too big to act like a baby, but I forget she is too little to act like Annabelle.  Jumping off of things seems like a good idea to her.  She wants to make decisions herself.  She takes more than the .5 second I provide her sometimes to process what I say to her. 
I told Annabelle to tell me, "She is only 3" when I stat to lose my patience with her.  This actually works.  A bit humbling when your child notices that you aren't being patient.

I try to think about how she feels and what she is thinking and give her a bit longer to process what I am saying or give her time to finish what she is doing before I make her transition to something else.

I found this blog one time and  every once in awhile I come back to it.  Yesterday I decided to see what she was up to.
This blog post was perfect for me.  Her little girls sounds just like Ariel.

I like how she says this:
She has taught me to let her be her. Not box her into my idea of "good." To smile when others frown upon her extroverted ways, to not worry that others might think I don't already spend hours teaching and training her. She has taught me to laugh again - like Shelton did when he was little. . .

She has reminded me how important it is to accept our children - more than accept, but enjoy their differences - and let their uniqueness shine.

I need to remind myself of this often:
This past week I was headed out for errands and I had gotten all the girls ready and myself and I was loading the stroller into the back of the car and there Lakelyn was. She had packed her own little bag and while I had gone to get the stroller she had managed to completely undress and change into a dancing costume. I opened the back end of the car and there she sat totally un-ready once again.

My face said it all and my mouth with it, "Noooo!" I said, not raising my voice but in a completely defeated tone of voice that directly let her know I was not happy. I hung my head, closed my eyes for a second. When I raised my head again to look at her, there she sat in her little tutu with elephant sized tears welling in her big black eyes. I had crushed her.

She hadn't disobeyed me. I hadn't even thought to tell her, "Lakelyn, now don't completely change clothes once mommy puts you in the car." I didn't even know she had managed to take her little pink backpack with her.

She began to sob. I leaned over and I wrapped her in my arms. In that moment all I heard in my head was, "She is three." I'm pretty sure that is how the Holy Spirit speaks, matter of fact. Holding her close and stroking her hair, "Oh Baby, Mommy is sorry. Please forgive me. . ." and I continued to whisper as if talking to myself, "She is only three. Three. Don't expect her to act and think like an adult. . . Baby, Mommy loves you. It's okay, I'm not mad, I love you Baby."

I plan to pray this more:
"God, help me to not expect my children to be mini-adults. Help me to train them to love others and to love God but help me to let them just be kids. They don't need to carry shame for being their age."

So when I look at my girls, especially Ariel, and see that they are behaving like children, I am very happy.  Sometimes I have to remind myself that just because they don't act all grown up, they are my perfect sweetie girls.

I just need to do what Proverbs 22:6 says (Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.)  It is okay if they are loud and sometimes run around as long as they Love Jesus and Love Others.