growing up

Kids grow up, and they do it quickly. Sometimes the ideas we have for them, don't always happen like we wanted, or back fire on us as parents. Maybe for the good, maybe not. Everything is up in the air, and all we can do is try our best.

Why do I say this? I say it in both a positive and not so positive way. Danika and Bryce have taught Brett and I some things about parenting this weekend.

When Danika was 6 months old, we put her in swimming lessons. It is a good thing to learn, and we believed starting early would help her not be scared of the water. So, in she went. I remember during the very first class, they told us to dunk her. YEAH RIGHT- I didn't do it, and warned Brett not to when he took her. We didn't want to scar her for life! Well, now she is in swimming lessons without us. And is having a very hard time. Her teacher is teaching them many things- and most have to do with her looking in the water or taking her feet off the pool floor. But she WONT! She is scared of the water in her face. So, that will take time---Bryce on the other hand, this is his first swimming lessons- yep at 2 and a half. First day in, they said dunk them- and guess what- I DID! This week, we stayed after class to swim as a family. Bryce was putting his face in the water and swimming around, Danika was standing and playing.

I know they are two different kids- very much so. But, Brett and I talked and think that maybe we babied her too much, and some things are just harder for her now, because we thought at the time we were protecting her. We can't go back and change this- we just have to help her work through it.

Then, she taught me, that not all the babying was bad! Sunday morning she asked to get her ears pierced. This was another decision that we waited for her to decide. We thought as a baby that maybe we would wait. When she was older we would tell her about it, explain how it hurt etc. So, the day finally came. We both thought that she would back out. We explained it to her. I was actually, probably more nervous than her. We walked around the mall and talked about it. I was thinking to myself "maybe we should have done it when she was a baby, another thing we babied her on". I thought that maybe if we had done it, that she would have forgotten the pain quicker than now. I thought that now, if she can't handle it and won't let them do the other ear- what were we going to do. Many things went through my head, and again, I felt that we shouldn't have babied her as much.

Well, it came time. I had done my explaining, I wasn't sure if I was ready, or her. But, she climbed up into the chair- saying "Don't worry, I am brave mommy". I held onto her- just incase. And then surprisingly, she just flinched a tiny bit for the first ear. The lady stopped and explained just one more time. We switched sides and she did the other- Danika flinched a bit less. I looked at her to check the reaction...

IT WAS THE BIGGEST SMILE EVER!

She was so happy to do it, she was happy she was brave. And she was happy that she made a big girl decision to get them done! At that moment, I was happy too. I was happy we saved this moment, saved it for a time that she may remember, saved it for her to make the decision, and saved it so she could prove to me (and herself) how brave and grown up she is getting!

Babying- and protecting them, is what we do best. If it doesn't work out, then we will figure that out when the time comes. But, it is something we all do as parents, and that is why we are here.

I am so proud of my little girl for being so brave, I know she will build up her self esteem and be brave in the swimming pool soon, but for now, I am happy that she is taking it slow- I don't know what we would do with two crazy kids at the pool!