Writers in the Storm blog always has intriguing blogs—usually aimed at the writer-me, but this week’s blog, What to Look for in 2012- no Ouija Board Required, relates to parents. The blog lists rules for advice for a fuller life. I would like thank Fae Rowen for the inspiration and material.
If you are a parent, a few of the “rules” apply every year.
Rule #51. Logic and linear thinking won’t work like they used to. Ah-h, have a preteen or 13 year old daughter and logic is history. Remember how she used to be: She’d grab her clothes, that confident smile and dash out for soccer practice. She liked to share stories with you and your clothing ideas mattered. Now the logic and any kind of thinking…..Now
Clothes are piled all over the floor, outfits are strewn on the bed and she is making faces at the mirror. You both need to leave the house in 5 minutes… To speed things up, you mention, “When you wore that outfit,” You indicate one of the outfits she has chosen which is flung on the bed. “You said all of your friends loved it.”
The roll of the eyes, the sigh…then the kicking of that outfit to the corner—on the floor. When did your charming little girl decide she had to look and act like she were 20???
Logic doesn’t work as it used to. Then there is homework with either sex….
Wail! If the child is a girl. OR Crash! Throwing a notebook if it is a boy, followed by, “But I finished it.! I worked so hard—for at least an hour” This is followed by more wailing, moaning and muttering.
You state, “You teacher said you never handed it in.”
“But that shouldn’t get a zero. I did it.”
Rule # 6: “Respond rather than react.”
Remember this rule when, your child states any of these….
“There’s a dent in your front fender; I don’t know how it got there.” (as he/she returns your keys.)
OR
“Mom, my head’s bleeding!”
OR
“I’m calling from the police station, can you come down here.”
Rule # 8 Turn a crisis into a blessing.
After you respond, not react…think of what could have been, the lessons that were learned and count your blessings.
If nothing else, many family crises can be turned into a humorous family anecdote—later.
A family crisis can be
A pimple on the day of the dance.
A lost shoe.
A collapsed school project.
A dented fender.
A trip to the emergency room.
A visit to the police station.
Or a tragedy.
When our youngest was a baby, we spent most of his first year in a children’s hospital. The time and our crisis was scary, but his crisis was eventually resolved. In comparison to some of the other crises and tragedies witnessed in the hospital, our crisis was minor.
The family has turned this tense time into a funny anecdote. Our youngest yanked the wires off his monitors just so all his siblings and parents would come running.
The other family crises of pimples, fenders, ruined school projects, emergency room and even police stations, we have survived.
Rule # 13 “Do Expect the unexpected.”
Duh! You’re a parent, what else is there? You learned that rule your first week with a newborn.
Rule #35 “Manifest what you really want by only envisioning what you want.”
When that 12/13 year old shows up in the tackiest outfit you ever witness and comments, “yeah, what ever….”
Envision her in an outfit of your choosing, picture her with that confident smile and hear her say, “Of course, Mom.”
Envision her and you will both survive the day better
As a parent, you regularly need to follow this rule: #47 Give yourself a time-out to walk in nature.
Get away, breath in and out. Appreciate nature around. Mother Nature has survived worst calamities than your children could invent…..
Enjoy your moment of peace, count your blessings, and envision a better time.
A thanks to Fae Rowen and Writers in the Storm blog. Check out the rest of the 2012 list. The rules will give you something to ponder, may bring a smile and may give you a new way to look at 2012. It’s a great list; one we should share with others. May 2012 be blessed with wonderful family memories, fewer grey hair moments and may we as Fae Rowen suggests, have a fuller life.
http://writersinthestorm.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/what-to-look-for-in-2012-the-year-of-the-dragon/