Truth #23 – We wish you could have seen them yesterday

“I promise, she did it yesterday.  She did it like 20 times.  He was so good, sat at the table for hours.  He took like six steps without holding on.  She was dancing her heart out, clapping and waving bye-bye.  He didn’t cry at all!  She scored, he placed first, she made it!”

Sometimes it seems like the only one they will perform for is you – Mommy!  All you wanna do is share your joy with somebody but your kid won’t get it together!  It’s not that you want to shove it in people’s faces but it’s so nice to share in a simple moment of their precious development.  Or even just their good behavior.  Ain’t nothin’ better than when your two-year old sits for a 3 coarse meal and nothing worse than when they flip out in front of guests.

I picked my daughter up from preschool the other day and one of the boys had a total breakdown at the sight of his mom.  She had a newborn in a bucket seat and the daily winter grind of hats, gloves, coats, and transport had proven to be bigger than her that day.  She was so embarrassed that she lost it on him – everything short of leaving him there.  It wasn’t a good time for me to step in but I know that boy and he’s wonderful.  He was just having a bad hour is all.  As a matter of fact he’s actually my daughter’s favorite friend.  I wish I could have told her that because she must have been thinking… “Lady, he’s not always like this.”

I have an animated little girl with an enormous personality.  She is known for her dramatic facial expressions and intense memory.  There is nothing more fantastic than when she performs!   Gia… sing, dance, read, talk on the phone…  Like most toddlers however, she gets moody!  If she isn’t feelin’ it, ain’t gonna happen.  Worse case is our persistence plays on their sensitivity and formulates a breakdown.  When this happens, we wanna crawl into a ditch as if it’s some magnifying reflection on us as their mom.  ‘I swear to you people, just yesterday she was dancing and singing, counting to 50, riding her bike, reading a book…’

I understand the sensitivity because I’ve witnessed the onlookers .  I’ve heard moms talking about kids as though they’re problem children!  It’s crap!  They haven’t even met them twice but because that one day, the child was a tad off, well that’s it, they must be a bad kid… it’s bull shit.

Moms, let’s make a point to be more tolerating, or realistic rather.  Before you label a tiny human a ‘brat’, give it at least a second visit because their mom is wishing you could have just seen them yesterday!

Photos from here and here and here and here