Children

Sometimes being a parent is exhausting, sometimes its exhilarating, sometimes its terrifying and you feel helpless. Sometimes you just feel proud and as like you've really done well.

I picked up my boy from drama yesterday and he was in the gabbling a 1000 words a minute mood, spitting out words about school yesterday as something was on his mind. We pulled over at the nearest McDonalds and shared a happy meal between us (frugal! heh) so he could sit and talk and I could listen properly. He talked about school, it was a bit mixed up and garbled but he obviously needed to talk it out. Once he had finished and looked a bit huffy but spent we talked about other things, our coming up trip to San Francisco and I told him his cousin was coming with us. He was so excited about that his face just lit up!

When we got back to the car my cell rang and it was a friend in tears. He sat happily playing next to me while I talked to her. He didn't fuss at all, I was so proud of him. He just made little comments like who is it, is she alright. He also sounded very surprised and said "Daddy how come you are so practical" at what I was saying to her on the phone. Heh. I thanked him after for giving me the time to talk to her and he said that was ok. Such a lovely little boy!!

Today we had to do homework, and that ended in tears of frustration (his, not mine!). Fractions and he just wanted to guess answers. So tears, stomping, anger, and I told him to go to his room for 5 mins to calm down. He did, he came out, he still didn't want to listen but I sat down with him and showed him how to work through a couple of them and this time he actually started listening and not just getting frustrated as he "couldn't do it". After a few he started giggling and laughing. I didn't QUITE get an "oh this is easy" but I could tell he was thinking it. In the end he finished them all happily and all the tears and anger were gone.

It made me proud of myself in a way, that I had been patient with him and persisted, and I had seen the reward of his giggling and being comfortable with it. It also made me very proud of my little boy that despite the tantrums occasionally, he is such a special little boy.