I recently had a day just like this. With winter starting to disappear and the pleasure of spring, with all its hope of new beginnings arriving, I seem to be a in a good mood more often. Who knows why? Maybe it has to do with the sun being out just that little bit longer, which seems to give the illusion of having more time in the day. But with spring comes new blossoms…… and hay fever, sinus and blocked, stuffy noses. My daughter had this for a week, then my son and finally, so did I. My poor husband gets hay fever at the drop of a hat, so he basically never stops having a blocked nose.
Anyway, I had a busy day at work. A few of the children I teach were also suffering the seasonal illnesses, but this day just seemed particularly long. I left work in the afternoon feeling quite lethargic and had absolutely no energy to keep going. My head had been feeling a bit puffy all day while my nose and sinus cavities seemed to be fighting for space in my head. I had another appointment to go to after school, to which I had to drag my two children. Emphasis on drag. They actually ended up having a lot of fun, while I sat feeling worse and worse. It was a productive appointment, don't get me wrong, but the words seemed to bounce around and echo as I spoke.
The afternoon turned into evening and we were eventually ready to leave. My son, who is 6 years old, did his reading homework in the car on the way home and we only got home close to 6pm. My dear husband had started supper and greeted me at the door with some medication for the sinus. As we all traipse in the house and put our bags away, I see the laundry basket with our already washed underwear in it. I make a mental note to quickly sort and fold it before we eat supper as there wasn't much in it and knew it wouldn't take long. My head now feels like a UFO, buzzing slightly detached from my body as I sit down and try not to bark orders at my children to unpack their bags.
My son then does the most amazing thing. He offers to help me sort and fold the laundry. He never usually offers , that's why it's amazing. I normally have to beg, plead and nag. First I think “Wow, that's so kind. I must be doing something right.” My second thought is “This is not going to be as quick as I hoped it would.” But the buzzing UFO above me is threatening to leave the planet and I'm so tired I let him help without any fuss or corrections. He starts to sort out the socks then casually hands me a bra and says “Mommy, here's your boob holders.”
Well that just did it for me. The giggles seemed to take over and I couldn't stop laughing. I don't know if it was just that or if the medication had kicked in, but that moment seemed to erase all the bad parts out of the day. The rest of the evening was a breeze and I went to bed feeling happy that my children can lighten my load and brighten up my day.
The point of this personal story is that we as parents all have good days and bad days. Children can bring out the best and the worst in us. Good parenting days always outweigh the bad ones. Even though we might feel as if we are not doing our best or don't have enough time or energy to spend with our children, they sometimes have a way of keeping us grounded. We need to try to focus on these moments and not let them slip by unnoticed. Laugh with your children. Allow them to make life easier for you.
Happy parenting!
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