I actually said that to my children tonight.
One of them had come downstairs complaining that we needed to buy more toothpaste so that they wouldn't have to share a toothpaste tube.
Ethan heard me and called in from the other room: "OK -- What are you doing that is distracting you?"
What was I doing?
Trying to communicate. Speaking not English my language first.
"Practice nicely toothpaste waiting"??? It frustrates me that THOSE were the words that came out of my mouth when I was fully focused on answering my child's request. What I meant was that this was a chance ... a golden opportunity, if you will (and she didn't) ... to practice patience and longsuffering, to show humility and deference to siblings.
I'm not sure that all of that - or even any of it - was conveyed.
Instead, images of Yoda singing from the Trinity Psalter (I do love it but there are similarities in the wording) came to mind. You could even put it to the tune of "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah": "Practice nicely toothpaste waiting ... la la la la la la la."
I should have stuck with my normal dismissive "Mmm-hmmm" and kept my mind on the dishes.
Distracted mothering has its place.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
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At least you didn't tell them to put the trash in the fridge like I did one day last week.
ReplyDeleteIs there something wrong with me? The more I read "Practice nicely toothpaste waiting" the more it made sense to me.
ReplyDeleteMary: HA! Try following through that command with a straight face!
ReplyDeleteJoanie: Perhaps it just shows an intimate knowledge of the Trinity Psalter? Or Star Wars.