What Was I Thinking?!?

Ya know, I've been thinking....yeah, I know...that can be dangerous lol

When we become a parent for the first time, there are so many exciting, yet anxious times we go through. We all have different ideas on what kind a parent we want to be. These all coming from how we were raised. Some things we definetly want to keep the same and others maybe tweak here and there. Such as maybe disciplining or maybe we have read somewhere where this worked well for someone. Kind of trial and error, if you will.

You are excited to hear them say their first words, to watch them take their first step and to watch them grow and experience new things. You get excited when you see them understand maybe a story or their favorite tv show. This happened to me. It was the first time that I realized that Jakab was becoming a little man, instead of a baby. He loved the movie "The Lion King". And probably most of you can relate to this, but this was THE movie that we watched over and over and over again. lol One day, when he was about 4 years old, he was watching the movie for probably the third or fourth time that day. When I realized that he had shut off the movie. I went to check to maybe find him asleep on the chair, but instead I found him sobbing. I asked him what was wrong and he looked up at me with his sweet face and said "Mufasa died". Well, needless to say...I immediately started bawling!!! It was then that I realized that he was growing up and had understood the meaning of what had happened in the movie. That was huge!! For both of us.

We, as parents, embrace those milestones in our childrens' lives. We realize that maybe what were are doing to raise a healthy, independent child is on the right path. There are other times as well, when some significant thing happens and it makes us pause. We all have these and all of mine with Jakab are etched so vividly in my memory. Of course there are the usual milestones in a childs' life, birthdays, especially turning 16 and able to get their license. Their first school dances, sporting events and just hanging out with their friends.

Isn't this what we want for our children?? To be independent and self-sufficient?? To be able to accomplish their goals? To raise them to stand on their own two feet? To look inside themselves to find their strengths? To believe in a higher power? To be able to do things for themselves?

Ya know, before Jakab went to college....I thought I had raised him correctly, with all of those above mentioned attributes. But, with this lonely house now adays (and less mess, I might add) ;) ...I wonder...what was I thinking? lol

Thanks for letting me ramble!