I cried today along with my toddler.
He does cry very often because little kids do that to get attention or to get a
message across. Also, they seem to have a meltdown every now and then. So,
crying comes easily to them since birth. For long, I told myself that I can
deal with all the meltdowns and be calm because I read somewhere that it’s
important to be cool and composed with kids all the time.
But I broke the rules. I raised
my voice. I broke down. I cried even as my toddler shed tears. We did have a
good reason but to someone reading this, it would seem silly. It did seem silly
to me as well, that is, until it happened to me. My son has his rough days sometimes
because of constipation because kids can be picky eaters or maybe he simply doesn’t
want to poop or maybe I messed up his diet (I am trying hard to beat the guilt).
A google search suggested that it was normal for kids to constipate and that
they grow out of it soon. So did my doctor tell the same thing. It sounded
reassuring but not for long.
When day two rolled in, there was
simply no relief with my son clutching his tummy in pain. I kept calm for as
long as I could, telling myself that this was just a rough day and that, we
would grow out of it soon. Midday, when nothing I did worked, I called my
husband and cried – “he won’t poop. I don’t know what to do.” My husband
promptly said he was coming back home to rescue me. (My son thinks I am a
supermom and I think my husband is a superman while in reality, we are messed
up humans).
Quite often, my husband has
commented that writing a blog about parenting and being a parent aren’t the
same things. A part of me thinks he may be right.
When my son finally found relief
after a long struggle that involved (car rides, laxatives, juices and list of
rhymes), I breathed a sigh of relief. Even as I winded down for the day, I realized
a few things.
1. Its
okay to cry in front of your kids (It’s impossible to show your best self all
the time).
2. There
will be times when you can simply be there for your child but can’t do much.
I know I didn’t have to deal with
a whole lot today. But I do know, there are lot of parents dealing with so many
other things when it comes to kids. I can't say enough for the courage they carry in their eyes every single day. Perhaps, as the saying goes, “There is no
such thing as being a perfect parent, but one can only be a REAL parent.”
Nice writeup
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