Sunday, February 03, 2008

Pop Quiz

I am bad at taking multiple choice tests. They make me really nervous. I have to read the question very carefully then read all the possible right answers a few times over before I feel like I kinda understand what they are looking for. Then one by one I try to eliminate the wrong answers. Problem is that I can make an excuse of how each choice could work given the right circumstances. Then I just get really upset that this test will only let me choose one answer when clearly all of them could be correct. This indecisiveness has gotten me into a lot of trouble and really, really poor (shockingly poor) SAT scores. In college, (Yes somehow they still let me in. On account of my charm and money,) I was told that when taking a multiple choice test that my first answer was most likely the right answer. Today sadly that was not the case.
Last night Matt came home from a poker party with a sack of quarters. He gave them to Tobin to fill is sadly underweight piggy bank. Matt also suggested that maybe he would like to consider taking a few quarters to give to the church the next morning. We reminded him about what offering means and how our church helps other families in need. In the morning during our typical rush to get out the door to church on time, Tobin remembers that he wants to bring an offering. He sticks his hand in the quarter bag and grabs and many quarters his four year old hand can muster. Something holds me back from speaking my first thought. I almost said, "Tobin you don't have to bring that many quarters. Just bring a few and you can spend the rest. This is your money to spend on whatever you want." WHAT!!!!!! I immediately scolded myself. Here my child was being selfless and demonstrating generosity and I was almost about to teach him to be stingy, to look out for number one.....And what could those extra quarters bought Tobin? Maybe he’d buy a new train to add to his already ridiculous collection. Or some candy or a few grab bags of crap at the dollar store. I was about to limit him so he could buy a new train. WHAT? Then I wondered how many times has my jaded adult ways stiffened his potential? How many times do I step in and tell him a better way to fold this or tell him to color in the lines? Today I am glad that I filtered my first thought and realized my first answer was the wrong answer. Today I was so happy that Tobin was the teacher and I was the student.

Stay tuned to my adventures in parenting. Besides the valuable lesson of being greedy, what will I teach my son next?
A. It's annoying for you to say, please and thank you every time.
B. We don't need to pray just because we can't find the missing gingerbread man from Candy Land.
C. You just peed so you don't really need to wash your hands this time.
D. You have to take two more bits of your french fries or no dessert.

12 comments:

Michelle said...

Our kids sure do teach us sometimes, sounds like you have one that is full of child like faith AND it sounds like you are a very good mommy!

Rachel said...

Ahhh the lessons we learn from our children.

Christi said...

I sure needed to read that this morning. Sometimes I teach my kids to freak out about the most ridiculous things, because somehow along the way I have made them important in my life when they shouldn't be.

Alida said...

I think we never stop learning, but I must say my best teachers ever have been my kids, with experience and my parents coming in at a not so close second and third place respectively.

Anonymous said...

This is so very true. I am often shocked when I hear my own words and tone of voice being repeated by my kids, especially when it's for trivial matters that I have made a big deal of.

Tiffany said...

It is so interesting to see how the teensy tiny things we do in life that we may not even think about can greatly affect the little being we are trying to mold. I can't wait for the moments where Tristan can start teaching me to stay decent and keep my heart where it should be. We all need reminders - even from our kids!

momaof4 said...

It is scary to hear your kids repeating what you say!! It just dosn't sound right when they say it. Almost as scary as sounding like our own parents???

We should all take a handfull!!!

Lindsay said...

I agree, kids sure are amazing teachers. Something I never understood until I had 'em.

Stefanie said...

Pop quiz back at ya:

During Maisie/Ruby's nap, do I...

a. fold the stack of clean clothes heaped on my floor
b. shower
c. check your blog and reply

Probably choosing the most unwise of the three, but heck, we only live once:)

Loved this food for thought. Read it long ago and continue to laugh aloud at it at times. I am so guilty of that kind of parenting too.

On another note, although a little sick still last night, I loved having you guys over. Never mind the craziness of our families together time and glad we'll have many more "dinner/house planning" sessions to come these next months.

Hope you are feeling better.


S

Angela said...

What a great story Rebecca Laine.

Stefanie said...

Just have to say that I love the new pic at the top. They were so tiny - reminding me of my Ruby. Don't you just love that innocence?

Okay, my milk just let down writing about our babies! How funny and honest of me!

LizzyG said...

Pop quiz: Would you like to bring your 3 kids to my house on a Tuesday or Thursday, and spend the day packing by yourself?

Seriously. Let me know. It's just me and Olivia on those days, and we would love the company of your darling little angelic children!