It started out as what would be deemed a typical Tuesday night in my household. I get home from work, think about dinner, and oops... Lauren's practice is canceled and Jennifer has to be run to the store to get last minute additions to her costume for school on Friday. Ok, still it was something different than running all night for drop off/pick up of practices. So the girls start with homework, I cook, we eat, we go to the store, we come home. Typical so far.
What made this night different is that Lauren asked me to practice her band songs with her as there were parts she didn't quite get the rhythm and wanted my help. For those that don't know, she is a flute player as I was, and it's been a VERY long time since she's asked me to help her. In fact, it's been a very long time since I've heard her practice at home with all the playing they get at school. So I head to her room, my flute in tow. She gets out her music and tells me that she just wants me to play it so she can hear how it's supposed to go. So I play the parts she was having trouble with and when I finish she looks at me and says (drumroll please)... "why do you have to be so good?"
For anyone with normal teenage kids, this is something as parents that we rarely get to hear, so we cherish it. It's more typical that parents get looks that ask the questions like "what are you doing, why are you doing it, and please don't ever do that again". So when we get this kind of unexpected praise, even though they probably don't even know they just gave it, we do silly things with it. We blog about it so that we can remember it ever happened in the first place.
I share this not as a statement about kids not giving praise because after all, they are kids. It's a statement about not making a big deal about it to them, but sharing with other parents so that we are all aware these things CAN happen every now and then. So be ready, maybe you're the next one we can hear from about your own "praise" story.
I finished with her and actually got in a good run (and it was mostly running which I really hate). It was a good night.
2 comments:
Thanks for sharing that. I can name on one hand the times that has happened to me in the last 19 or so year with my girls.
Most recently, I was taking images of the varsity squad at Monday practice of the different positions (backspotters, flyers & bases) for Coach Gen. One of the girls said to Caroline "you're so lucky to have your Dad around taking all those great pictures". Well, that was pretty cool, but better yet, Caroline responded by hugging me from behind and saying "yea, it turns out he's not a bad guy after all". For all to see and hear. That was huge...
Kim...This is awesome! Isn't being a mom great!! Can't wait to read some more!!
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