Thursday, March 20, 2014

because you are 8

I utter this phrase often these days: "because you are eight!" 

My daughter is a pushy kid (at home). She desperately tries to get her own way. And by desperate, I mean that she will try anything and everything to make things work out exactly how she plans for them to happen. (Currently, she is trying to convince us that we should purchase some chicks from the local Tractor Supply Co because we can create a pen for them in our side yard using a baby gate and a cardboard box. I'm encouraging some research on the subject.) 

But this girl is smart, too! When I tell her "no," she will badger me to death (yes, to the death of my sanity) with her "why not?" and "but Mom!"  She is looking for a discussion because she likes to argue. She likes to debate. She had told me this to my face. Yes. To my face. This non-confrontational mom has had to learn how to be confrontational and how to handle my cool through it all. 

We have learned not to engage her in discussion in these situations. Because the fact of the matter is that "I said so." 

(Now there is a time and a place to listen to and discuss with your kids. We do this on a regular basis.)

(But there are also times and places where it is not appropriate to argue with the God-given authority of parents.)

I have sat with my daughter, (not in the middle of one of these arguments, mind you, because it would go in one ear and out the other) and have chatted with her about how God gave me the authority to be her mom. And I have explained that when I tell her "no" it is because I have good reasons and she should trust my decision without having to know the reason behind it. And I have told her that usually the decisions I make are for her good, not just because I want to rob her of all of life's fun. (Although sometimes, when I am really irritated....)

AND because I am 25+ years older than her and have much more wisdom, experience, and knowledge than she does because she is only 8.

So, when I tell my daughter, "because you are eight!" she knows that trumps everything because I am older, wiser, and more experienced at life than she is. 

Now, when she is a teenager, that will be a different story.  *sigh*

KC

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