A Lesson in Parenting

Lord give me patience. Yesterday Chad’s friend Brian came to the house to borrow our internet and play Rock Band with Chad. He brought his 6 year old son, Preston, with him. Lord give me patience. They didn’t stay longer than an hour and a half, but by the end of the visit I wanted to strangle Preston. Once again, Lord give me patience.

I spent the entire visit visiting with Preston while also trying to finish my Sunday chores (cooking dinner and doing laundry). The visit started out like this…we have all of Buster’s toys in his bed in our living room. Preston proceeded to pick up every single toy and throw them all about the house. I had to dodge a couple because he cannot throw straight. I asked him to go around the house and gather all the toys he had thrown and put them away. I got a very simple answer, “No.”

Frustrated by this, I go to finish some laundry. He follows me into the laundry room and goes outside to play fetch with Buster. This was really nice because Buster always likes a good round of fetch. However, my laundry was interrupted several times by Preston saying, “Look at me,” over and over and over again.

Then he comes into mine and Chad’s bedroom and spots Chad’s new acoustic guitar. Now, this kid has grown up on Rock Band and Guitar Hero and naturally figures Chad’s guitar is a toy. He sprints to the guitar and starts strumming.

I immediately run up to him and tell him, “No, Preston this is not a toy.”

This does not go over well with him, “But I want to try and play it.”

“I know, but it’s not a toy. So let’s go back to the living room and play Rock Band instead.”

“No, I want to play this one, please, please, please.”

“I’m sorry, but you can’t because it’s not a toy. Let’s go to the living room.”

“But, why? Please, please, please.” He continues to repeat those 5 words over and over and over again.

“Well, I am telling you no. Will you please just listen to me?”

“I’ll stop asking if you let me play it, please, please, please.”

Man, this kid is slick. I can feel my temperature rising and I know I am losing my patience. Heck, I was getting angry. I wanted to yell at him, “Because I said no, that’s why! Now get your butt in the living room and listen to me!” Finally, I got him by the hand and led him to the living room and tell him to join the Rock Bank session with his dad and Chad.

Instead he follows me in the kitchen and starts opening my pantry, refrigerator and freezer. He wants candy. I name everything I got in the way of candy…pop-tarts, fruit snacks, granola bars, and sweet tarts. He wants none of it. I then ask him to close the pantry. Not happening. So I have to close it for him. He eventually spots the ice cream and wants some of that. My response, “Go ask your dad.” Luckily for me Brian says no. I thought it was very ill-mannered of him to feel bold enough to dig through my kitchen like that.

Then he decides he wants to be a little chef and help me cook the spaghetti. He pops himself on my step-stool (yes, the shorty that I am needs a step stool in the kitchen) and wants to stir the cooking spaghetti. It’s the guitar conversation all over again.

“No, because it’s really hot and I don’t want you to burn yourself.”

Then it’s, “No, why? Please, please, please,” over and over and over again.

I was about to lose it, but luckily for both Preston and myself Brian announced they were leaving.

Wow! I am in for the ride of my life. However, I will say this. I do think Preston’s lack of respect for authority and inability to listen is avoidable. I believe you can teach children to listen and teach children respect. I can feel in me that I will be a disciplinarian and I will demand respect. I have been scared that I will be a push-over mom, but yesterday taught me that I will be nothing close to a pushover.

In the end I say, “bring it on!” Because I will not allow my child to be raised without rules and boundaries. Baby Cayden will know better.