For now, they are listening...

The extent to which my children listen to me surprises me. I don't mean when I am telling them to "BE QUIET AND GO TO BED!" for the tenth time. They don't listen then. I mean to the big stuff. I have it so stuck in my head that "actions speak louder than words" that I had just assumed that words were for naught. (I know, silly, but it's the truth.) I'd been thinking as long as I DID the right thing, it didn't really matter what I said. Wrong. The little buggers do listen and absorb everything we say, I've found, so we have to be perfect in word and deed it turns out. Great.


I had this impressed upon myself yet again the other day while Emilia was discussing her "friend troubles" with me. It appears one of her little Kindergarten buddies is putting on a play (this is the latest thing amongst Emilia and her class) and cast her as the queen. We all know there are bad school days, great school days, and average school days, the latter of course, being the most common variety. Occasionally something awful or wonderful will kick the day rating up or down a notch into one of the more extreme categories.


Well the day my daughter got the news she was the queen, was a good day. She was just thrilled, in a way that an A on the spelling test, or a trip to the prize box even, was never going to come close to. Needless to say, two weeks later, when this friend told Emilia she was no longer the queen, the torch had been passed to so-and-so, was a bad day. (Don't get mad, Mom. Remember, this is life.)


I offered that she should simply write her own play and cast herself as the queen in it. She could still be in her friend's play, but she would have her own too, assuring she was able to keep the coveted role. She liked my idea. Wow. I felt certain nothing short of "she must bend to MY will" was going to do, but perhaps my darling, strong-minded daughter is maturing.

A few more days brought yet another development. Strangely enough, Emilia had offered her friend the role of queen in her play, and the girl refused it! Imagine! Said she wanted to be the princess. (Emilia pointed out to me that the role of princess was not nearly so major a role as that of queen. What was her friend thinking?!) She considered telling the friend that if SHE (Emilia) could have the part she wanted in her friend's play, then the friend could indeed be the princess in HER play. I told her that I had faith she could handle the situation. "But do you think that is a good idea?" she asked me. She asked for my advice. At least for now, she cares what I think. Maybe, if I play my cards right, this will last until she's nine.

:) Tracy