February 28, 2015
I screwed up the other day. And I had to apologize. To my 4-year old. In front of her friends. UGH.
The kids had friends over, so the house was pure insanity with 5 little people under 7 running amuck. And my just-turned-2-year old was right in the mix with them, trying to keep up, but falling and running into the wall and breaking his face instead every 48 seconds.
I usually let them run around the house a bit (especially when it is 2 degrees outside, causing us to hibernate), but at some point, ask them to stop. But they don’t. So I “ask” again with more depth to my voice. But they ignore me. So I yell, stand in their way, make empty threats about taking away the I-Pad, etc. and that usually gets it done.
But this day, with 5 kids tearing around every corner, I forgot to give the initial “please stop running” request and my little guy ran smack into something (or someone, I don’t remember), and he fell hard. And angry Mommy wrath burst forth with fervor as I scooped him up, bloody lip and all.
“THIS is why we don’t run in the house!!!” I shrieked at my 4-year old little girl in front of her two BFFs. And then I watched her shrink. I watched her shoulders hunch over as she curled up in shame.
I knew right away that I had messed up. I had let them run around the house. I had allowed her little brother to participate. I am the grownup. I was responsible.
I took 5 big, deep breaths and then I did what I knew was necessary, what she deserved. I walked over to her, with her friends in the room, crouched down low to see her face, and said I was sorry. I told her that it was Mommy’s choice to let everyone run in the house, and that it was an accident that her brother (who was by now totally recovered and trying to climb into the microwave or something) got hurt. She turned her face and looked up at me. And she smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck.
It sucks to admit you screwed up. But we owe it to our kids to own it and make it right. How else will I teach her to apologize and rectify her errors as she grows up if I do not do the same?
(And spring, by the way, can arrive any time so these monsters can go OUTSIDE.)