Today my daughter taught me a good little lesson. I told her she could pick out something at the store for $3 or less. After she hemmed and hawed and asked for more expensive things and then drove me to exasperation because she couldn't make up her mind, I finally gave her another choice.
She is saving her money for an iPod Touch. She has a long way to go. Out of frustration today, I told her that she could have the $3 to put towards her iPod if she would pass on purchasing something at the store. It was all stuff she didn't need anyway. Oh, but she fought me, still looking for that one thing she couldn't live without. We were rapidly reaching my patience tolerance level. (This happens often when I shop with my darling redhead...)
Finally, I was done and started walking away, but this is when the lesson I had been trying to teach my daughter hit me square between the eyes. I had two throw pillows in my arms that I thought were fantastic and had told myself were worth the money, even though I was going to spend twice what I had originally planned.
I walked away with a crabby, empty-handed daughter in tow. (At this point not only was she not getting some random trinket, she was also not getting the $3. A terrible attitude does not get rewarded.) I took those pillows and brought them back where I had got them.
My girl asked my why I was putting them back as she knew I really wanted them (and I did - one was bright green and the other had owls on it. And they were both soft and squishy!) I put off responding to her question till I got into the truck with her.
When we sat together in the truck I explained: as much as I loved the pillows I had chosen, it was more valuable at this point to save the money for other things that were needed and wait to find a set of pillows that were in my price range. I related it to her debockle in the store: buy something now and waste the money or save it for something better.
We drove down the road, headed home and she contemplated for about 5 minutes. Then she looked up at me and said, "Mom, I'm sorry."
Seriously, people, there is almost nothing more valuable uttered from a child's lips: understanding the need to apologize. Her heart, prompted by Jesus Christ who has lived in there for years, recognized her need for remorse and apologized.
So not only did this beautifully-hearted little girl remind me to make wise choices when purchasing, she also reminded me to listen to the promptings of my heart when I need to apologize.
Kids. The lessons we learn...
KC
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