Successful Parenting

I had a long talk last evening with Man Child....

after our talk, I realized...

Yes!  I am succeeding in this impossible job called Parenting!

Tall Man and I started our "Parenting" career with Peanut.  She was a quiet child.  Our little experiment.  I am sure we would not have won any rewards for Parent of the Year if people knew how much fun we really had!

Like that time.....in the formative years....
.....when we picked her up we would say, "Do you want down?"
.....when we put her down, "Do you want up?"
.....horses were cows....and...cows were horses.

So picture our trip to the petting farm at the zoo...

Our little bundle of joy, pointing at the cows saying, "Look at the pretty horses!"  And when someone would try to correct her, that they were truly cows....in her frustration, would turn to Tall Man, with arms stretched skyward, "Daddy, pick me down."

Yeah, yeah, yeah....it took us about six months of everything being "uppy-down"  to get that straightened out.  But to this day our family still calls horses ... cows and cows ... horses.

As each of the kids grew, we were very strict parents.  Maybe part of it was the continuous moving.  I really never had time to get to know families and their children well enough to earn the trust most families have, living in one place their entire married life.  For example, I didn't particularly like the kids going to sleep overs.....the parents could be mass murderers for all I knew!

I am drifting here.....

My point is, in my conversation with Man Child last evening, I had that realization of success.

I have heard the same comments over the years from
all three of my children:

1. You are much harder on me than you ever were on_________.
2. Why can't I just be a normal child!
3. Why did _________ get that!  I never was allowed to get that.
4. You would never have bought that for me, why does_________ get one?

My answers have always generally been, "Because this is just the way it is!" but I do have real answers:

1. I have the same rules for each of you, it is just the trauma of your childhood that makes you remember it differently.  Therapy will help when you get older.
2. You are not allowed to be normal.....you are extraordinary children that are each meant for great things!  Therapy will help you understand this some day.
3. You didn't get that because it wasn't invented yet.  The therapist will help you understand it is your father's fault.
4. The only reason they got that was because your uncle bought it.  I would never spend my money on something like that.  (Thanks Brother of Mine!)

Yep...I feel some success this morning!

My chickens.....still alive after all these years.
We must have done something right!

I am positive I will be knocked off this pedestal by this afternoon though....