A few nights ago, I was getting ready to tuck Samuel into bed and he handed me a note, then slipped down beneath the covers – head and all. The note said “Please don’t bother mommy”.
I asked him what it meant and here’s the ensuing conversation:
Samuel: “It’s for the other boys, to tell them not to bother you in the morning so you can have some alone time.”
Me: “Do you think I need some alone time?”
Samuel: “Yes. I’ve noticed you’ve been having a bad attitude for the last week.”
Me: “Really? You’ve noticed that? I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it.”
Samuel: “I always notice.”
Me: “And you think having alone time would help?”
Samuel: “Yes. Or playing a game with me. You always seem in a not bad attitude when you play a game with me.”
Me: “I think you were right in the beginning. I think maybe my problem is that I need to spend time with Jesus in the morning. I was angry about something last night and when I’m angry, my anger squeezes Jesus over to the side so that He’s not in charge of my heart anymore – my anger is.”
Samuel: “Well, maybe what I will do is make a picture of Jesus and show it to you to remind you to not squeeze Him out tomorrow.”
Me: “That’s a good idea, or maybe you could just pray for me.”
Samuel: “Okay, but I’m also going to make a sign. To remind you.”
The moral of this story? Kids notice EVERYTHING. Even though I think I can hide my bad attitude, they can see right through me.
A mother of 3 boys has an excuse to have a bad attitude, if you really did. I wouldn’t depend on the assessment of those usually causing the problems!