So, there's that moment when you know your child is better. It's the moment that he goes from cute, snuggle-bug on the couch wrapped in a blanket watching a Disney movie (about a "vampirate" - ha ha) to hearing yourself say, "Slow down! You were sick today, remember?" Then you catch yourself and remind yourself that good health has returned and that is a good thing. Yep.
It's also a good time to remember some parenting tips you learned in a book last summer. I read Becky Bailey's Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline, a book I initially bought because I thought it was unique to my son. Ha! It's all of us. My favorite part about the book was that Bailey lectured me! "You can't teach skills you don't possess," she says. Gosh darn her! You mean I have to change too?? This was a tough pill to swallow. Still is. But she's so right. If I act like a raving lunatic when I'm angry, chances are my kids will too. If I model calm and in control, they can learn that too. So, today as my now healthy maniac zipped around the house sliding in his socks, I tried to focus on what I wanted, instead of what I didn't want. I want healthy. Check. I want calm. No go. So, I ended play time and requested that he get a book the last 10 minutes before bath time. It worked! Way to go, Becky Bailey! I guess it also helped that I had a nice snooze this afternoon! Maybe that's the real tip: Moms need naps too.
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