Kids are Surprisingly Resilient

We all have times with our kids that try our soul.
Just when I think I must be the world’s worst parent, I find that it is surprisingly hard to ruin kids. Somehow, kids seem to make a come back even after the most challenging predicaments.
I am amazed at how resilient my own kids are.
Even when, along the way, I have wanted to give up, the kids hang in there with me and together we navigate the process of becoming mature together.
Talking to my mom always reminds me again of how resilient the Primer kids were.
For instance, as a junior high kid, I got in the habit of sneaking out in the middle of the night with a few friends. We would wander around the neighborhood, experiencing a sense of freedom, until fatigue and boredom set in, driving us back home to our nice, warm beds.
This went on for several weekends, until a friend’s mom found out and reported to my parents.
Can you imagine! A parent’s worst nightmare is to have your child, drifting through the neighborhood in the middle of the night, a sitting duck for being kidnapped while you are sleeping. Good grief!
My mom and dad stepped up and dealt with me in the most humble and serious way.
Of course, as parents, we don’t always know exactly what our kid’s perspective is.
I was actually relieved to be caught and eager to get back to sleeping a full eight hours a night. But, if my parents had pushed me, I would have rebelled, just for principle’s sake, I guess. Fortunately, they expressed their love for me and let me know that what I was doing was dangerous for me and scary for them.
I bet they thought I was a lost cause.
Looking back, that incident taught me a lot about dealing with my kids in a way that appeals to their conscious so they want to do what is most sensible and healthy.
Later, as an adult, I went back and thanked the mom who had the courage to call my parents.
Just think what that mom had accomplished as a parent! Her child refused to go out with us when we showed up in the middle of the night at her window. Her daughter had the maturity to recognize the danger and felt comfortable telling her mother the next morning.
In spite of mom and dad's trials, the Primer kids all came out fine and dandy.
And we’re all law-abiding citizens, too. Not that there was ever any question about my sister, you understand.
I guess good parenting comes down to this: Hanging in there and being honest about our feelings of inadequacy.
Oh, and it’s not a bad idea to get a burglar alarm. That way, mom and dad can get a good night’s rest.
Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at http:/checklistcharlie.blogspot.com or cathykrafve@gmail.com.