You have heard it said “Moms don’t get sick days!”
The fact of the matter is that we occasionally are down for the count, and no amount of will or might can lift our fatigued bottoms from the sofa.
So, does that mean your kids are going to starve, thirst to death, or burn the house down? You will be surprised to know it is actually quite the opposite.
Having a helping hand in these dire situations is ideal, but not always a reality for stay-at-home moms.
This truth has never been so real as just recently when I became horribly ill and had to allow the kids to take on more responsibility than normal.
It seems kids can’t go five minutes without asking for something. “Can I have juice?” “I’m hungry!” “Brother won’t let me play in his room!”
When I was unable to attend to these daily demands something extraordinary happened.
They did it for themselves!
Yeah, they may have spilled a little milk, and fought over a toy or two, but they figured it out.
What’s even more amazing is that they were incredibly compassionate over my plight.
Even my three-year-old was bringing me water and tissues as she stroked my hair and told me she loved me.
Giving kids the space to get a little messy, make some mistakes, and even more accomplishments helps them grow in a big way.
Steph Thompson, in an article she did in for HuffPost, spoke on how she came to the same conclusion:
“My kids are never going to learn how to do things for themselves unless I let them. I know this. I write about this. I preach all the time to others about the necessity for kids to be independent.”
Even though Thompson speaks all over on just this issue, she admits she still struggles with telling them to do little things, like picking up their wet towels, instead of letting them learn by natural consequences.
And it’s understandable, we are mothers. We don’t want to see our children fail, and we often insert ourselves to the point where we make failure impossible.
The problem is without trial and error it is difficult to truly learn some of life’s greatest lessons.
Thompson adds:
“It’s our job to model some good behavior, though we’re not ever perfect, and to lovingly teach them some strategies for living. But at some point, they have to learn the consequences of their actions.”
I am not trying to say that your toddler needs to start making their own lunch, and that your school age child should be mowing the lawn, but giving the kids some room to discover their potential can do a lot of good.
It was only a matter of time before I was back to being supermom- making snacks in the shape of their favorite animals, refilling their water cups, kissing boo-boos, and playing referee when a coveted toy has caused strife yet again.
The difference is now I am reminded that my kids are superheroes too, and watching their little chests puff up when they confront a task head on, whether they fail or not, lets me know we are are on to something wonderful.
(h/t Mommy Underground)