Never Say Never
Not ever...I am a firm believer in the phrase "never say never". There are simply too many variables...time, mostly that will certainly change circumstances, and saying 'never' will only complicate matters and certainly cause one to eat crow!
In the beginning, my "nevers" started with things like:
1. I will never take my child out in public like that
2. I will never bring a diaper bag to church that could double as a picnic basket
3. I will never let my child have a dirty face and a snotty nose.
...you get the point.
As said child and subsequent children grew bigger, my nevers were a little more like:
1. I will never let my child sit in front of the TV all day long
2. I will never let my child get away with saying ______ (fill in the blank)
3. I will never let myself get to be that size
...again, I have eaten a good deal of crow over the last 16 years!
Most recently, I don't say my nevers out loud, or I've at least chosen different wording, yet I'm still eating that crow!
1. No child of mine will have a cell phone at the age of ____.
2. Video games can only be played on weekends.
3. We will eat dinner together regularly.
4. That seems like way too much money to spend on ____.
5. We aren't cut out to be that family whose child(ren) play on select sports teams.
I could argue with the best of 'em why I am adamantly opposed to whatever the topic at hand is, but as time passes, more often than not, I find myself on the other side of the fence, making a case for why we do, have, feel the way we do about things that embarrassingly I was not in favor of probably just a short time ago.
Maybe it is sheer tiredness, maybe wisdom and experience, maybe trial and error, or someone was truly convincing in their argument. Perhaps a combination of everything. Everyday there seems to be something new that we are doing that we wouldn't have been considering years, months, or sometimes days ago. There is a lot of humility that comes with parenting. :)
Most recently, I recognized that I was in the midst of doing something that has forever been off limits. I was complaining out loud about my child's playing time--or lack of--in a team sport. WHAT?? I would NEVER do that! Then again, I've never been in the position to. Each day I am faced with multiple situations that I could very easily offer a "never" or "always" to.
It is just good practice to recognize once again that our family's major consistency is modification. I learn something new every day...how to manage a family, how to be a good parent, how to be a good wife...I love my family...cooky as they can be, through the trials of nevers and evers, and for all of the mind-changes that come along with growing up, growing bigger and growing together. I'm sure I have not said my last never.
In the beginning, my "nevers" started with things like:
1. I will never take my child out in public like that
2. I will never bring a diaper bag to church that could double as a picnic basket
3. I will never let my child have a dirty face and a snotty nose.
...you get the point.
1. I will never let my child sit in front of the TV all day long
2. I will never let my child get away with saying ______ (fill in the blank)
3. I will never let myself get to be that size
...again, I have eaten a good deal of crow over the last 16 years!
Most recently, I don't say my nevers out loud, or I've at least chosen different wording, yet I'm still eating that crow!
1. No child of mine will have a cell phone at the age of ____.
2. Video games can only be played on weekends.
3. We will eat dinner together regularly.
4. That seems like way too much money to spend on ____.
5. We aren't cut out to be that family whose child(ren) play on select sports teams.
I could argue with the best of 'em why I am adamantly opposed to whatever the topic at hand is, but as time passes, more often than not, I find myself on the other side of the fence, making a case for why we do, have, feel the way we do about things that embarrassingly I was not in favor of probably just a short time ago.
Maybe it is sheer tiredness, maybe wisdom and experience, maybe trial and error, or someone was truly convincing in their argument. Perhaps a combination of everything. Everyday there seems to be something new that we are doing that we wouldn't have been considering years, months, or sometimes days ago. There is a lot of humility that comes with parenting. :)
Most recently, I recognized that I was in the midst of doing something that has forever been off limits. I was complaining out loud about my child's playing time--or lack of--in a team sport. WHAT?? I would NEVER do that! Then again, I've never been in the position to. Each day I am faced with multiple situations that I could very easily offer a "never" or "always" to.
 |
| "I will never drive a 12-passenger van!" |
It is just good practice to recognize once again that our family's major consistency is modification. I learn something new every day...how to manage a family, how to be a good parent, how to be a good wife...I love my family...cooky as they can be, through the trials of nevers and evers, and for all of the mind-changes that come along with growing up, growing bigger and growing together. I'm sure I have not said my last never.
