So what to write for my premiere article with the Lower Mainland Children’s Directory? Something catchy, fascinating? Sure for the first time ever I get writer’s block!
Then my soon to be 5 yr old son hands me the most perfect story without even knowing it….. But first I must digress….
As parents we try to instil all the lessons of life with the safety lessons being at the forefront.
‘No, honey we can’t try to catch the honeybee…’ (mine bit one in half) or ‘playing with sticks can be dangerous…’ (his first school time out).
One of our most important lessons though has always been ‘No Road!’ As in don’t walk on the road, play on the road or attempt to cross the road. Ever. If your balls rolls on the road – leave it. If a car is about to hit your ball and pop it – let it. It will look rather funny to see a ball fly through the air and we can always buy another ball.
So we are just generally not allowed on the road. We don’t live on a terribly busy road. In fact it is usually almost carless until the 5pm return to home time. But it isn’t up to a little kid to figure out which roads are safe so the ‘no road’ rule applies to all roads, parking lots and sidewalk drives.
At the age of two he tested his boundaries by running right up to the road, turning to look at me and jumping 6 inches into the road. I knew he was going to do it. I saw it coming. So I kept watch to ensure he wasn’t in danger of a car peeling up the street and let him do it. I called out the warning. Once, twice and he still did it. Then the furies of Hades fell upon him. He had never been in trouble with me to that breadth and depth. He had never heard my voice raise to that level or that pitch in my voice. I wanted him to know that this was a very, very bad behaviour. And for the last 2 1/2 yrs since then he has diligently avoided any hint of pavement. Even when the daycare provider tried to get all the children to hold hands crossing the road. Nope. My mommy says I have to hold an adult’s hand. She recruited another parent to walk with them. Even when he starting crying in the parking lot of the ABC restaurant after grandpa lifted him out of the truck and ever so gently set him on the pavement beside it. With tears streaming down his face he accused grandpa of ‘leaving him in the road’. Grandpa was flabbergasted. I actually giggled quietly inside my head. At least the lesson worked. Or so I hoped.
Well today, at 4 years and 10 months old, he proved that it did.
I decided to loosen the ties a bit more today and let him play outside alone. By this I mean he thought he was playing outside alone while I discreetly checked on him every 45 seconds. We talked about being responsible. Playing outside without mommy and daddy is a ‘big boy’ stuff. After one of the longer intervals (ahem about 3 minutes), he charged into the house, wide eyed and anxious, announcing that he ‘needed my help right away’. I went to see what had him so agitated and he pointed. And I saw it. His soccer ball just beckoning him to get it from the neighbour’s drive… across the street.
‘Will you get my ball please?’
This time there were hugs, numerous ‘I’m so proud of you’ and pats on the back. He beamed ear to ear, then I went in the house a cried just a bit. It was a good parent day.
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Contributor:
Sam is a busy mom of 2 boys sharing her mommy-isms.
Tags: bad behaviour, mommy, parking lots, safety lessons, school time, sidewalk, time out
Hello Sam, I read your first article and hats off to you! It was a great look at what can be done to make sure the kids no the rights and wrong, especially allowing him to make the mistake in a safe manner so that they understand the repercussions. It reminded me of a story a mom once told me at one of my classes. During Sportball classes we play a game called Run & Freeze, and it is simply just what it is titled, they run when they hear the word freeze they need to stop. Well the mom and child were playing on the driveway when the ball got away and headed toward the road, he was focused on getting the ball and payed no attention the the mom yelling, Stop! Stop! while running behind him, so as a last effort she yells FREEZE! and without missing a beat, the child froze! Luckily this was prior to the road and everything was fine. Funny how kids think sometimes! Great first article and I look forward to hearing from you again soon!