Kids' behavior ...
Kids' behavior
I felt as if I've just came back from a battlefield ...
I brought my 2 godsons out for a movie "The Ant Bully" this evening, thinking that it's going to be a real fun time with them.
Well, on the whole, the outing was fun, but I think tired and draining is probably the more appropriate words to describe. No wonder my colleague commented that I'm very "garang" to bring 2 kids (a 5-yr-old and a 3-yr-old) out on my own when I told her my day's plan. I think I know better now ... =)
What's tiring is not so much having to make sure they eat their sandwiches, drink their water, checking whether they need to visit the toilets, whether they understand the movie, keeping them still at their seats, reminding them perpetually not to speak at the top of their voice, etc - but what's tiring I think is really understanding them, "humouring" them, communicating with them, and then wondering if they understood what you have spoken ...
Kids can also be very "demanding" and temperamental, at least that is how I feel about them now ... when the younger one heard that his brother had barley water (well, actually it's just water, I still can't figure out why the older one wants to kid his brother ...) in his water bottle, he wanted it too, and he wanted it NOW! Thank God the younger one's easier to persuade and coax, otherwise, I don't dare to imagine the scene I have to put up with if he screams and cries ... =P
Next, the older one wants to have pop-corn. Popcorn? After the show is over? when it's going to be dinner time within minutes after I get them back home? Again, I have to coax and reason with him - and I had to promise him popcorn the next time I see him. Haha, better not forget your promise to a kid - I think they remember ...
Then when I sent them back home, they both wanted to press the door-bell. Being still small in size, of coz they can't reach. The older one jumped and missed, and he didn't say he wanted me to carry him to reach the bell, while the younger one did, and so I did. Guess what? the older one was upset, and fuming - and when the gate opens, he refused to go into the house, with tears streaming down his face. My!
It makes me wonder why he reacted the way he did. Was it insecurity, did he feel "rejection", or what? Does not getting his way mean adults care less about him? But then again, it's not about getting your way, or having your rights, but what is RIGHT!
On my way back home, I began to think if we adults also sometimes behave like that towards God too. We want our rights ... we demand our rights ... and we feel "insecure" when we see others having much more or accomplishing much more than us. Do we feel that when our prayers are not answered, or when we don't get what we want or hope for, we begin to doubt God's presence, His involvement or even His love towards us? The Lord affirms His love for us in Jeremiah 31:3 when He said, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."
While Jesus encourages us to "believe" like little kids do (aka have child-like faith), I believe He doesn't want us to "behave" like little kids.
Will I still take the 2 of them out? I believe I will, because I think I learn a lot from them too. But I guess I ought to pray for more strength and wisdom the next time I do so ... *Grin*
I felt as if I've just came back from a battlefield ...
I brought my 2 godsons out for a movie "The Ant Bully" this evening, thinking that it's going to be a real fun time with them.
Well, on the whole, the outing was fun, but I think tired and draining is probably the more appropriate words to describe. No wonder my colleague commented that I'm very "garang" to bring 2 kids (a 5-yr-old and a 3-yr-old) out on my own when I told her my day's plan. I think I know better now ... =)
What's tiring is not so much having to make sure they eat their sandwiches, drink their water, checking whether they need to visit the toilets, whether they understand the movie, keeping them still at their seats, reminding them perpetually not to speak at the top of their voice, etc - but what's tiring I think is really understanding them, "humouring" them, communicating with them, and then wondering if they understood what you have spoken ...
Kids can also be very "demanding" and temperamental, at least that is how I feel about them now ... when the younger one heard that his brother had barley water (well, actually it's just water, I still can't figure out why the older one wants to kid his brother ...) in his water bottle, he wanted it too, and he wanted it NOW! Thank God the younger one's easier to persuade and coax, otherwise, I don't dare to imagine the scene I have to put up with if he screams and cries ... =P
Next, the older one wants to have pop-corn. Popcorn? After the show is over? when it's going to be dinner time within minutes after I get them back home? Again, I have to coax and reason with him - and I had to promise him popcorn the next time I see him. Haha, better not forget your promise to a kid - I think they remember ...
Then when I sent them back home, they both wanted to press the door-bell. Being still small in size, of coz they can't reach. The older one jumped and missed, and he didn't say he wanted me to carry him to reach the bell, while the younger one did, and so I did. Guess what? the older one was upset, and fuming - and when the gate opens, he refused to go into the house, with tears streaming down his face. My!
It makes me wonder why he reacted the way he did. Was it insecurity, did he feel "rejection", or what? Does not getting his way mean adults care less about him? But then again, it's not about getting your way, or having your rights, but what is RIGHT!
On my way back home, I began to think if we adults also sometimes behave like that towards God too. We want our rights ... we demand our rights ... and we feel "insecure" when we see others having much more or accomplishing much more than us. Do we feel that when our prayers are not answered, or when we don't get what we want or hope for, we begin to doubt God's presence, His involvement or even His love towards us? The Lord affirms His love for us in Jeremiah 31:3 when He said, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness."
While Jesus encourages us to "believe" like little kids do (aka have child-like faith), I believe He doesn't want us to "behave" like little kids.
Will I still take the 2 of them out? I believe I will, because I think I learn a lot from them too. But I guess I ought to pray for more strength and wisdom the next time I do so ... *Grin*
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