Connecting Through The Challenges

We are continuing our 10 Days of Connecting With Your Child Series.

My Child Sees Me As Imperfect.

As new parents my husband and I had a lot of fears swirling through our heads.

We had spent many years trying to conceive and failing, and when finally gifted with this baby we had every intention of being the very best parents we could be.

Our main fear was failing at this.

Soon (much too soon) we realized:

He would see our struggles.

He would discover our weaknesses.

He would feel our challenges.

He would know our setbacks.

He would witness our failures.

Gasp.

I'm so over my fantasizing about ways to go back and make that mom (and dad) of 11 years ago see the light.

I'm grateful that we have let him see us in the way we were made.

Imperfect.

"Mom-om! You gotta do what? You gotta finish a 30-Day Exercise Challenge?"

"But you don't like exercising!"

[Yeah, rub it in, kid.]

Then as he encourages me up the steep hill while we walk together on that first day and I am out of breath, sweating profusely and limping with my bad knee:

He sees my struggle.

He discovers my weaknesses.

He feels my challenge.

He knows my setbacks.

He witnesses my failure.

My first day was not perfect.

It was not a success.

In this imperfection he is learning that it's not about ability, it's about effort.

He is learning about that effort, about resilience, about risk, about self-confidence.

He is learning about GRACE.

On Day 2 of the Exercise Challenge, I went back. I did it again.

The days that followed I went further, I struggled less and I finished the challenge.

He was there with me.

Both kids cheered me on that final day.

This lesson is repeated daily as they face their own struggles, on a personal and academic level.

They are worthy. As imperfect beings.

We are connecting through their challenges. And through our own.

"Daddy?" asks the 6 -year old.

"Is there anything you're not good at?"

My husband answers:

"Yes, c'mon, come with me and we'll talk about it as we drive to the store to pick up a new pair of sunglasses and a new wallet because I've lost mine, again..."

See? And more connecting happens...