I came across this “Letter I Wish My Three-Year-Old Would Give Me For Mother’s Day” and it was so delightfully relatable — I mean, can all three-year-olds really be that similar?! — that I wanted to share, if not for the commiseration, than for a good laugh.
The thing that really sticks with me about it, though, is how true it all is. I really believe that if Coraline had the emotional and social intelligence of an adult, she would say those things. But of course, she’s three, and so can’t. I have to just know them to be true, which is harder than you’d think.
I’ve actually been thinking about this a lot lately: this idea that the onus lies solely on us as the parent to shift and change — to be better — in order to transform a difficult parenting dynamic. Because, regardless of how frustrating and exhausting little ones are, 95 percent of the time they’re exactly as they should be: impulsive, emotional, needy tiny humans still learning the ropes of this complicated and intense world.
And while it’s important to teach them that it’s okay to make mistakes and that forgiveness does go a long way (as I wrote in my post a couple weeks ago), it always comes back to us — the parent — having to be the bigger person. Because we are, for now.
» More from Mama Greenest blog
» Ask Mama Greenest a question
» Find a Hudson Valley healthcare provider or rescource
» Find a Hudson Valley kids resource
