We all are aware that kids say the darnedest thing.
Are they the truth? Maybe, maybe not
Is it right for them to say those things? now this is when it gets bit tricky.
I remember when Abe was younger, maybe in his 2nd grade, we were just snuggling and Abe said “Mom, I love you because you are so squiggly”
Are they the truth ? yes.
Is it right for him to say it? it’s harmless -except for my dignity of course- but it’s harmless in general. So yes.
A has this 2 close friends, they are brothers. I like them hanging in our place, but one of them has a not so good of habit that whenever they eat, they will get so much food but not finishing them. We ended up wasting a lot of food every time they came.
I told A about the habit, just so he would not copy it an understand why it is not something to do (when he comes to their place other other friend’s place). I told A, that I was not sure how to address this to his friend without hurting his friend’s feeling.
Next time the one of the brother came to visit and we all had dinner together. A blurted out ‘Well, good thing that your bro, the one who never finishes the food was not here now. Does he always do that by the way?”
#facepalm
Good thing that the brother took it lightly and the conversation did not go ‘hostile’
I had a talk with A about what he said as the brother went home later in the evening that day
Yet it makes me think…..
Yes, what A is saying is the truth. It is ‘annoying to see food get wasted because the kids get so greedy piling them on their plate and not finishing it up’
Especially when the rule in our house is we don’t waste food
But…………………..
Perhaps as an adult, as a parent, we also need to tell our kids to
- think before they say things
- learn to say things in the most respectful way
- speak up yet to show some emphaty
- leave the ‘grown up’ conversation with other grownup and not sticking their little nose into it
And also tell ourselves
- to address our kids immediately when they say something in appropriate
- to ask the kids to apologize to the party when they say hurtful things or
- to apologize on behalf of our kids when they do something wrong or say hurtful things
I think, we, adults/parents sometimes forget that just because the words coming from kids mouth, it does not mean they are not hurtful.
And cause sometimes saying ‘They are just kids” is not a good enough solution
#wordshurt #teachyourkidsmanner #shade #kidscanbetaughtinyoungage