Life with Toddlers

The little girl was helping fold towels and socks when the little boy walked up.

"No!" Ava says to Jack. "You can't be here. I'm doing this! Go to your bed!"

"Ava," I scold, "Jack can be here with us."

The girl turns sweet and says, "Okay, Jack. You can look at me."

How generous of you, Ava.

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Jack wet his bed during the night and upon greeting him in the morning he says to me,

"There's pee in my bed! Yucky!"

I sigh and start pulling bedding off while he examines the wet spot.

He turns sincere and asks me, "You wanna smell it?"

I'm good, thanks.

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It was one of those moments with my little Jack-hammer that leaves me feeling inadequate and unsure. He struggled against me and kept retorting in his most rebellious tone.

Trying to stay calm, I spoke in my lowest voice. "Jack it is your job to respect me. When you disrespect me, you are disrespecting Jesus."

Giving me that face of his, he replied, "Jesus is naughty."

My heart twisted. Proverbs speaks of a path of destruction, and this looks like one to me. Proverbs also says that the Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Laying him on my bed, holding his hands tight in mine and pressing them gently to his chest, I stood over him. I know all the modern parenting advice about "getting to their level" but this kid does not need an adult at his level. He needs to know he is under authority....my authority, just as I am under God's authority.

"Jack," I say sternly. "Jesus is not naughty. Jesus...is....God."

His face turns inquisitive and he asks, "Gowiaf is naughty?"

Wondering if I should get back to the subject at hand or if I should just run with this, I reply, "Yes, Goliath was naughty."

Excited now about something, he re-enacts David with the sling taking down the giant, and in his biggest big -boy voice he growls, "But the little boy knocks down Gowiaf and go BOOM!"....etc, etc in Jack-Jack language.

*sigh*