I sometimes forget that my son is more than just my little boy; he is his own person, a man in the making. He was upset at us today because he didn’t get to go where he wanted to go. He was so upset that he refused to interact with us and said he wanted to be left alone. My first instinct was to force him to be with us and to pretend to be happy. I couldn’t possibly allow him to indulge in such an act. I refuse to raise a spoiled brat. But when I saw him sitting on that bench, looking around, I realized he is a human being, a person with feelings, just like me, just like his dad and just like everyone else in this world.
He is entitled to his feelings, he is allowed to be angry and I shouldn’t make him suppress that.
I decided to let him be, to have his time to himself. He wasn’t hurting himself or anyone else (aside from my feelings).
He is no different than me. I get angry too, more than I’d like to admit. Instead of telling him to not be angry, I need to teach him how to manage his anger and how to deal with it as he grows.
I want my children to know how to handle their emotions; not be disciplined for having them.
Allowing him his alone time today was tough at first but I am confident it was the right choice. It gave him time to think and to feel and it gave me a moment of clarity…and a great photo op!
Simply Sil 