on parenting
Sometimes parenting is a crap shoot. I've never actually participated in a crap shoot, but I think it means something like shooting blind, a shot in the dark......etc. You get the point.
Last night, Isaac came to my bedroom long after dark and said, "can I talk to you mom?"....and he began to cry. He doesn't yet read the blog, so please don't tell him I told you (all).....he wanted to quit football. After 2 days. He hated it....it was too hard.....he was slow and the coach made everyone run more because he wasn't keeping up......etc. Isaac has always loved football. He is good at football. I didn't know what to say. I held him and stroked his head and tried to brainstorm ideas that would help but after he had cried out his frustration I just told him to crawl in bed with me and Joe Joe.....and sleep. He did. At 4:30am, Precious came in because she had peed the bed and needed help. I don't exactly know where Roger was sleeping.....or not sleeping....but he came in and helped me strip the bed and get Precious cleaned up. I sleepily told him about Isaac's issue. Roger left for work a few hours later......
Today at 3pm, Isaac texted me. He didn't want to go to football. He hated it. He wanted me to say he could quit. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. Football isn't so important....but quitting on day 2 because something is too hard is important. Closing a door on something that has always been important to this child because the coach is being hard on him didn't seem right.....but neither did making him go if he was scared and desperate to not go.......
I called him from work and told him that I loved him. I didn't want him to quit. I wanted him to just go and deal with it and do the season and if he hated it he didn't have to play in high school because learning to quit when things get hard is something that I don't want for him....so he tearfully agreed to go. I swallowed doubt and fear that I made a wrong choice and would ruin my 13 year old son. I have no idea what to tell a teen boy. I've never been a teen boy. His dad wasn't available to help today, busy at work.....so I committed it to prayer......
He came home at 7:30 tonight perky and happy. Today went much better and he wanted to go to the sports store at the mall and get some kind of football girdle....don't ask.
I guess I guessed right today. Phew. Tomorrow? Who knows.
Last night, Isaac came to my bedroom long after dark and said, "can I talk to you mom?"....and he began to cry. He doesn't yet read the blog, so please don't tell him I told you (all).....he wanted to quit football. After 2 days. He hated it....it was too hard.....he was slow and the coach made everyone run more because he wasn't keeping up......etc. Isaac has always loved football. He is good at football. I didn't know what to say. I held him and stroked his head and tried to brainstorm ideas that would help but after he had cried out his frustration I just told him to crawl in bed with me and Joe Joe.....and sleep. He did. At 4:30am, Precious came in because she had peed the bed and needed help. I don't exactly know where Roger was sleeping.....or not sleeping....but he came in and helped me strip the bed and get Precious cleaned up. I sleepily told him about Isaac's issue. Roger left for work a few hours later......
Today at 3pm, Isaac texted me. He didn't want to go to football. He hated it. He wanted me to say he could quit. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. Football isn't so important....but quitting on day 2 because something is too hard is important. Closing a door on something that has always been important to this child because the coach is being hard on him didn't seem right.....but neither did making him go if he was scared and desperate to not go.......
I called him from work and told him that I loved him. I didn't want him to quit. I wanted him to just go and deal with it and do the season and if he hated it he didn't have to play in high school because learning to quit when things get hard is something that I don't want for him....so he tearfully agreed to go. I swallowed doubt and fear that I made a wrong choice and would ruin my 13 year old son. I have no idea what to tell a teen boy. I've never been a teen boy. His dad wasn't available to help today, busy at work.....so I committed it to prayer......
He came home at 7:30 tonight perky and happy. Today went much better and he wanted to go to the sports store at the mall and get some kind of football girdle....don't ask.
I guess I guessed right today. Phew. Tomorrow? Who knows.
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