Parenting 101

Do you ever feel like you need a copy of this book? This morning, I really knew I could use a quick browse through the "do not disappoint your child" section. Kady lost her second tooth yesterday morning. Pulled it out (well, broke the last dangling root free) by herself and was so proud. We stuck it in a Ziploc bag - placed it carefully on the butcher block - and placed it under her pillow when bedtime came. However, that is where the "planning" ended. Chris and I both forgot that the tooth fairy needed to make an appearance in our home last evening. So this morning - a VERY DISAPPOINTED little girl woke up to find the SAME Ziploc bag with her tooth still in it under her pillow. Did Kady cry and show her disappointment? No, not really. But her parents still felt utterly disgusted with themselves. So - we quickly came up with a plan - I distracted Kady while Daddy put the money under her bed. And yes, she got a little more than we had originally planned - but she deserved it at his point! We just told her the money must have fallen under the bed while she was wiggling around in the night and that we were SURE the tooth fairy left the tooth for mommy. Mommy's LOVE to have a tooth of their child to cherish. And - it worked. She was happy to have the money and life was good again.

But it makes me realize how hard it is to be a parent. How hard it is to not disappoint your child. How hard it is to remember EVERYTHING that needs to be done every day. How difficult it is not to lose your cool someday or to maintain the attitude you should have when things are not going as planned. And yet, even though we mess up time and again and we disappoint our children, they still love us. They love us with a love that no person can imagine until they have a child of their own. They love us without walls and without barriers. And the best part is - the TRULY believe we love them too.

I wonder sometimes if God gave us children to show us just a glimpse of His love for us. He loves us unconditionally even when we disappoint Him. He loves us even when we lose our cool or when we just mess up completely. He is there to look at us and say "I love you" and to make our hearts heal. So, I guess I could read "Parenting for Dummies" or I guess I could just open The Bible and read how to become more like Jesus. I am sure He would have been the most awesome parent there has ever been.