I learned a valuable parenting lesson this weekend. Here’s the story.
I had to go to a work event on Saturday morning. We recently opened a new store in Greensboro and to celebrate we were going to have a huge event in the parking lot in front of the store. There was a huge raffle with awesome prizes, and a local restaurant cook off, and vendor tastings and a kids tent with a clown and balloons and face painting and a cupcake decorating table. I had to make and appearance and asked Dan if we should go as a family. He readily agreed so Saturday morning we packed up the kids and headed out to the event. The evening before Piper had been dropped off by her mother and in a foolish attempt to get her excited about the weekend I described the work event as a little “festival” with a fun kids tent.
Well, we arrived, Piper got a balloon hat, met my co-workers, and designed and ate half of a giant cupcake. Then she wanted more fun. So, we walked through the tasting areas munching on grilled peaches stuffed with goat cheese and grilled steak and fresh watermelon, and mini key lime tarts, and salmon. Now, as you all know, this is Ellie’s kind of fun, but unfortunately, Piper was under whelmed. She demanded we leave, so after saying all of my hellos and goodbyes (everyone wanted to meet Bronwen), we headed home. The drive home taught me my lesson.
“That was not fun. You said it was going to be fun, but it was boring. I want to have fun. When are we going to have fun? When? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO HAVE FUN?”
Piper whined.
I guess I couldn’t resist myself and responded,
“I know! Getting cool balloons, eating cupcakes and lots of other great food is probably the worst thing you have ever had to do. I hope we can find a way to make it better.”
That didn’t help and for the next hour I was admonished repeatedly for having lied to her; and she demanded that I “never take her there again!”
So I guess the moral of the story is: Keep the expectations low and kids will not be disappointed. If I had told her I was taking her to a work event because I had to go, and she got there and there was a clown and cupcakes, the response would have been different. Or maybe not. When you have a precocious and intelligent 5 year-old, it is hard to put anything past her.
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3 comments:
Dear Ellie,
A hard-on-the-ears-and-heart lesson in parenting to learn I know...but remember, you are the "mom"...and you are doing the best you can coming from who and where you are. You didn't fail here...because you learned here. I am proud of you. None of us are perfect parents, but our commitment and love for what we see and feel is the best for our children (a point of diagreement with most children) is what ultimately makes the difference.
Love, Aunt Hope
ohhh that cracks me up! Set the expectations low! I love it. Excellent lesson!
What did Dan say to his daughter about this, I wonder?
5 year olds think that the world should revolve around them and in a way, it does. That said, now is the time to let Piper down easily about the real world.
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