Parenting Lessons

The Princess is in her fourth and final year of AWANA T&T, and has finished her book and is plowing through the extra credit sections. One of them requires that she parent for a day and write about it, and also look up verses that talk about parenting. She has been looking forward to it a great deal.

The morning of the actual day was something very different, though. Here was a Saturday laid out before her and instead of free time and daydreaming, she had a day of work and responsibilities ahead of her. Gee, I wonder what that’s like.

It didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off…in fact, she was in tears before breakfast was served. By the time she got her sister wiped off after the meal, she hollered, “Why does anyone even bother to have children?! This is too much work!” And then it was time for her to get on to the next thing. Her normal Saturday chores, running after Moo, cooking three meals, doing all the dishes, taking care of her siblings’ needs – by the afternoon she had gotten the hang of it and handled everything with grace, but heaved a tremendous sigh and declared that she was exhausted. And that she didn’t want to be a mama for a long, long time.

At supper, I told her why anyone bothers to parent. “Do you see that I have three amazing kids? You are all a ton of work, and I do get exhausted like you did today. But I’m actually very selfish – the payoff I get having you here is so much more than the work.” She didn’t look like she completely believed me, but she smiled.

I can’t wait to read the paper she writes; it is going to be hilarious. What I can wait for are aaaall the verses she is going to look up. Because I know my kid, and she is a researching lawyer at heart. I am soon going to be schooled on how many ways, biblically, I am failing as a parent. And she will point them out with a triumphant fire in her eyes. And I will have to swallow hard and be honest and say that yes, I have a long way to go. And hopefully I will learn a lesson in humility along the way. Thank you sir, may I have another! Sheesh.

That’s quite a lot to get out of one section. Going to have to find some Kevlar before the next one.