Parents would never say that they have a favorite child. We love them all the same right? Well, I do love all my children. I would throw myself in front of a moving bus for any of them. However, I find that as they grow and have their own personalities and temperaments emerge that some of them are easier to “deal” with than others. I am just being brutally honest here.
I was am not a very patient person when it comes to certain behaviors. When I worked at Blount County Children’s Home years ago there was this girl, we will call her N, she needed A LOT of attention. She was a younger teen, so she was on my “wing.” She would follow me around from the time my 10 hour shift started until room time. She asked me no less than 20 questions an hour. I was about to pull my hair out. They weren’t necessary questions, she could have easily figured out the answers for herself or by asking one of her peers. I finally made up an index card that she had to have signed off each time she asked staff a question. I think she was allowed about 10 questions a shift. Bless her heart. I know that this was just a form of anxiety and that she wasn’t purposely trying to drive us all crazy but we had to try and teach her. This particular behavior was isolating her from her peers and my hope was that she would be able to get this “under control.”
It didn’t work. And all the things that I have tried with my sweet Theodore haven’t worked so far either. All my kids so far have entered into a stubborn, willful stage at about 2 and it ends usually by 4. I don’t know why they call it the “terrible twos” like this craziness is contained to just one year. Theodore is so precious to us. He has a wonderful sense of humor, he loves to cuddle and still wants daddy to carry him to bed. He wants to be bigger and tries to keep up with Foster and Katie and any older child that is around. He is really smart.
If you look at the picture above, or spend time with him, you would think “Oh this guy is the cutest, sweetest thing” and he is, but looks can be deceiving. My biggest struggle with him right now is that he will not accept what Chris, myself or his siblings say about anything. An example is if he asks to do something and I say “No, we will do that in a little while.” Or “not right now.” Or “after I feed the baby.” Or “after we put out this house fire.” You get the picture. It doesn’t matter what is going on in the world around him, he gets it in his head and it must be accomplished. Granted he has now moved from throwing screaming fits to just asking over and over and over again, but that’s just as disobedient. It’s just as disrespectful to me or to his siblings who have told him no or wait.
As you can imagine, because he has to wait or is told no he walks around like Eeyore most of the time. Grumping and complaining. How do I get him to –
A) Be obedient and accept no for an answer
B) Appreciate all the great things he has in front of him (from food to toys)
C) Care about what’s going on with others – not just focus on himself all the time?
Oh. Ouch. I have been praying about this and God just let me know that is exactly how I tend to act. I guess I will try harder to treat him how God treats me. With patience.
But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life.
All the Little Grubbs 