As I try to teach my kids about kindness, hard work, discipline, acceptance, and all those good things that make nice people, I see my own weaknesses. Today, it was my patience. Or I guess I should say my impatience.
The kids and I were sitting around the table, eating some snack and reading a new book, The Jesus Storybook Bible. Buddy is really into it, he's really into Biblical stories, he "gets" most of it, and the vocab is right on his level. And, a lot like yours truly, he likes to listen and take it all in, mull it over in his own mind. Then you have Miss Sis, who at 2 has a great vocab and understands a lot, but not all. Plus, she likes to discuss everything out loud with other people. It's like introverts (Buddy and Moi) versus extrovert (Sister). Ok, so here goes the story of Noah:
Me: Then God shut the door.
Sis: Why he shut the door?
Me: To keep the rain out.
Sis: Why it rain?
Me: To clean the earth.
Sis: Why it needs to be cleaned?
Me: The people had turned bad.
Sis: Why they turned bad?
Me: They turned away from God.
Sis: Why they turned away from God?
Me: Sis, let's just read the story, OK?
Ok, wait a second. Did I really just say that? Yes, I really did! And I said something very similar in the next story! I really couldn't believe myself, especially as a former elementary teacher, that I basically told her to stop asking questions! Twice! I could "blame" my behavior on Buddy, tell myself that I wanted her to stop asking questions so he could hear the story, but he didn't seem bothered at all. Not a bit. So it's me, my impatience, my needing to slow down and meet Sister's needs rather than my own need to plunge ahead. And who's teaching whom here?
Lesson learned, I hope. I'll try.
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