Thursday, May 8, 2008

Manipulation

This is Tucker's newest attempt at getting my attention.

He pulls the horse down on top of him, then he yells, "Stuck!! Stuck!! Mommy, help! Help!" And I come running to rescue him, as any good mother will do.

Well, I came running the first time. Now, I call from the other side of the room, "Tuck, you're fine. Please get up on your own this time. You can do it. Yes, you can. Tuck, just push the horse off you. Yes, you can. Okay, I will help you. See? All better. Please don't do that again."

And less than two minutes later, he does it all again.

Perhaps it is my fault; when I respond to his crises with great sympathy and rescue him from harm, the degree of maternal nurturing feels a bit intoxicating to him, and he needs to have it again and again. And yet I simply cannot ignore him when he needs me.

The desire of my heart is to teach my children that I will always be there when they need me, but that they do not always need me.

So far, he believes he needs me. At least right now, in this moment, to rescue him from that blasted horse.
And so I do.

2 comments:

my3boys said...

This cracked me up because stuff like this happens daily around my house. And not just from the 3 year old!!!

Alli said...

What I love about this is that you know what he needs and how to give that to him. Yes, you are right...some day he will learn that he does not need you *all the time* but that someday doesn't have to be today - and that truck looks so uncomfortable!