Do you ever sit back and wonder, "Did my child just hear me, or just nod their head as an involuntary reaction? Did they understand what I was saying? Can they really hear me through doors, headphones, and video games?". Growing up I'm sure my parents asked themselves that more often than not. I'm sure they wondered if I was the only child on earth who truly had been born with an on/off switch. Only it was not for my mouth but for my ears. There were many times my parents would tell me to do one thing and I would do exactly the opposite. They would ask if I had done my chores and I would respond with, "I didn't know you had asked me" or I couldn't hear you - to which my father would respond, "Then turn the music down" or my Mom would say, "look at me when I'm talking to you".
I guess what the experts say is true, our children know more at a younger age than we ever did. It only took our kids a fraction of the time to learn how to listen with their heart, even if their ears are completely turned off, or covered with headphones.
In this case I am not like my parents. I get to experience what they had to wait almost 30 years for, children who listen to their heart first and everything else second.
Our four beautiful blessings are not too dissimilar. If they are listening to music with their headphones on they will look at us with smiley eyes but not hear a word we are saying, then shout at us, "HUH?". To which we respond "TAKE THE HEADPHONES OFF!!!!". They will try to have conversations with us through closed doors.
But just as my husband and I think we need to repeat ourselves and raise our voice to ensure they have heard through the door, or headphones, or hair dryer, we are surprised by the grace of their souls.
- Me: "
please come here" - Child from second story of house with a closed door, "WHAAAT?"
- Me: "Please come here"
- Child: "I can't hear you, no I don't want broccoli"
- Me: "No please come here and talk to me"
- Husband: "
COME DOWN HERE AND TALK TO US FACE TO FACE" - Child running down the stairs: "What Dad I can't hear you"
But just as my husband and I think we need to repeat ourselves and raise our voice to ensure they have heard through the door, or headphones, or hair dryer, we are surprised by the grace of their souls.
Fall is a busy birthday time for our household. We have at least one birthday or major holiday every month . This year when we asked our kids what they wanted for their birthdays we were prepared for things like, "I want a pony", "I want a new star wars gun", "I want a new wardrobe and only if it has real UGGs and clothes from Hollister" And I thought for sure someone would ask for a puppy or a new cat to replace the one we have that they don't really like.
The responses we got were sincere, and amazingly face to face. Our middle daughter chose to go do something special with her Dad versus a big friends party. She wanted to make sure we had a family party with all of her cousins and didn't care if we had anything other than my homemade cheesecake. Our oldest daughter wanted to verify first that we would have a family party, because if not she would rather have a family party, than a friends party or gifts. She also wanted to make sure her sisters and younger brother could come to the friends party. Our son is having his first friends party but wants his big sisters, his cousins, and his Grandpa to be there (Dad how do you feel about trampolines?). And both he and his oldest sister are happily sharing a single family party. They thought it would be cool and perhaps they would get a double does of Moms homemade cake. Our youngest daughter wants a friends party but told us she didn't want any dolls or toys. She asked if she could have tickets for all of us to go see her Grandmas and Grandpa in Arizona as her gift.
What truly surprised me was when the children each individually told us they would give up their Christmas gifts to go spend time with their Grandparents in Arizona. They wanted to know if they could again "pimp out" Grandpa's golf cart with every left over shiny ornament from Christmas, a favorite annual activity for my children, not my Father. If Grandma Sally would make fried cornmeal mush and bacon. And if Grandma Soukup was going to take them to Zoolights again.
The responses we got were sincere, and amazingly face to face. Our middle daughter chose to go do something special with her Dad versus a big friends party. She wanted to make sure we had a family party with all of her cousins and didn't care if we had anything other than my homemade cheesecake. Our oldest daughter wanted to verify first that we would have a family party, because if not she would rather have a family party, than a friends party or gifts. She also wanted to make sure her sisters and younger brother could come to the friends party. Our son is having his first friends party but wants his big sisters, his cousins, and his Grandpa to be there (Dad how do you feel about trampolines?). And both he and his oldest sister are happily sharing a single family party. They thought it would be cool and perhaps they would get a double does of Moms homemade cake. Our youngest daughter wants a friends party but told us she didn't want any dolls or toys. She asked if she could have tickets for all of us to go see her Grandmas and Grandpa in Arizona as her gift.
What truly surprised me was when the children each individually told us they would give up their Christmas gifts to go spend time with their Grandparents in Arizona. They wanted to know if they could again "pimp out" Grandpa's golf cart with every left over shiny ornament from Christmas, a favorite annual activity for my children, not my Father. If Grandma Sally would make fried cornmeal mush and bacon. And if Grandma Soukup was going to take them to Zoolights again.
I guess what the experts say is true, our children know more at a younger age than we ever did. It only took our kids a fraction of the time to learn how to listen with their heart, even if their ears are completely turned off, or covered with headphones.
In this case I am not like my parents. I get to experience what they had to wait almost 30 years for, children who listen to their heart first and everything else second.
