Tuesday, September 11, 2007

One Part of Parenting I Don't Like

I was laying next to my son tonight in response to a request by him to snuggle him as he was falling asleep (a pretty frequent request of late....hmmmm...). In the dim twilight filtering in thru the curtains, I could see his profile. He's still a child, but his features are changing. His nose is beginning to lengthen. The front of his mouth is filled with his adult teeth.

He's in fourth grade. The boys and girls in his class are starting to separate along gender lines--inevitable, I know, but sad nonetheless. Girls, once dear friends of his, turn up their nose now at some of his conversations or desire to play soccer in the backyard. My husband and I are starting to talk about when and how much we begin to tell him about God's design for marriage. He is starting to hear more and more words that I don't really care for him to use. He's at the age of kids where they notice things about other kids that are "different" and pick on them. He and his brother seem to raise each other's ire more and more often.

I ponder these things. I do not think I will be able to protect him much longer from the hurts to his heart that all of us experience through later childhood years. I fear he may deliver some of those hurts, even, to others at some point.

I don't like it. Not one bit. Where is my 18-month-old with the messy hair and the juice stain on his shirt most in love with his toy trains?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

There is no "house elf". If there was, he or she would be tied up at my house for the next 12 months.
Your son will receive, and give, unpleasant things from and to others. I have a daughter that said some very nasty things to me some years ago. We are very close now, and I look at it as part of the growing experience. You can't sheild your children from everything. It's how you handle it when they bring up one of those words you don't want them to use that matters.
The brother's ire. They are brothers, and each one is trying to assert themselves. That is only natural for them at that age. Don't fret too much on it. Later on, they will embrace each other, because of your love and your teachings. You can't control everything. Boys will be boys.