Oh boy, when the truth comes to light, it can be quite the revelation! Just the other day, I found myself in a rather embarrassing situation. My daughters, Mia and Zoe, and I had just arrived at my parents’ house for dinner after a long drive from Austin, where we live.
The journey was anything but smooth. We left Austin a bit too close to lunch, which required a stop. After we finally got back on the road, I was thrilled when they fell asleep—until I realized I was dozing off too! A quick coffee stop woke them up for good, and then the fun began.
There were arguments over music that led to playful hitting and annoying near-hits, which is somehow more irritating than actual hits. Just when I thought it couldn’t get worse, we hit unexpected traffic, joined by the familiar refrain of “We’re bored!” and urgent bathroom requests in not-so-ideal areas.
When I finally parked at a sketchy-looking Subway, I hopped out to let my girls out of the car—only to find the doors locked. Frustration got the best of me, and I yelled, “I can’t stand this DARN car!”
Now, before you judge, let me explain: my car is equipped with a feature that locks the doors once we start driving, a design choice that seems unnecessary in Austin. I mean, if I lived in a place where carjackings were common, I’d reconsider my location! But when it comes to my girls, I’m the one who opens the doors constantly. So, thanks, car engineer, for my day of annoyance!
Back at the dinner table, just as we were about to eat, my five-year-old Mia exclaimed, “Mommy, this is when the special part starts!” Seven-year-old Zoe chimed in, “Mommy, we’re going to say a praaayyyyeeer!” It’s amusing how they assume I don’t know about prayers, given that I grew up in a household where we said them daily. Now, as a family, we follow different traditions, being Unitarian Universalists.
Mia then declared, “We don’t say prayers at home!” My mom responded, “That’s fine! We enjoy saying a prayer before meals here.” I added, “It’s important to appreciate the food we have, as many people put in hard work to bring it to our table.” We all said the prayer together, and then I encouraged Mia to share our dinner tradition.
Mia, our youngest, often feels she doesn’t get to do as much as the others, but she takes the lead in our “Good Thing, Bad Thing” game. She explained that each person shares a good and a bad thing about their day, emphasizing the importance of listening. Naturally, she decided Zoe should go first.
Zoe started, “Well, my bad thing was that during the drive, Mommy was REALLY grumpy.” I shot her a look, but she was just stating the truth! She added, “Mommy screamed sometimes and used curse words…” I glanced at my parents, who were chuckling. Zoe continued, “She was stressed from work, yelled at the car, and got mad when we said we were bored.”
As Zoe carried on, I couldn’t help but laugh along with my parents. My dad remarked, “This tradition is teaching me a lot!”
We kept sharing our Good Thing and Bad Thing moments around the table, and it felt wonderful to listen to each other’s experiences. I truly cherish our dinner tradition.
After dinner, I spoke to my girls about two things: 1) They’re old enough to handle a three-hour car ride without constant needs, especially with all the books, toys, music, and movies available. 2) I apologized for not managing my frustration better.
So yes, I’m sorry, but I still can’t stand those darn locks!
For more parenting insights and experiences, check out this blog post. It’s engaging and packed with useful information. And if you’re interested in fertility topics, this resource has great information as well. You might also find this resource helpful for pregnancy and home insemination.
In summary, parenting is a rollercoaster of emotions, filled with moments of joy and frustration. But through it all, traditions like sharing our daily ups and downs help us bond and grow together as a family.