Training Wheels

I miss the pitter patter of little feet running through the house. I miss the giggles and silence I heard coming from the other room when I knew she would eventually come out and say something like "How do you like it?", or "I didn't do it!". I miss the dress up played only with a diaper and a pair of shoes five times the size of her foot and an old ball cap of daddys she had found. I think of dress up days, when she came out in a dress or shirt , lipstick, pretty pearl necklaces, all the rings that would fit on her tiny fingers, and a purse to fit on her arm. The purse she would carry would practically have her whole bedroom in it if you would let her. It had scrap papers, games, books, crayons, old make up cases, more jewelry. She had anything to make her a "grown up" in there. That included a used walmart gift card, which by the way, "Was a CREDIT CARD!" I was very quickly informed. I miss those days. Now we have moved on to giggles but they include talks of little boys that may be in the newest teenage craze band, Jonas Brothers included of course. We of course couldn't leave out specifically mentioning Nick Jonas, or she "just might die". Everything has become a story in dramatic form to be told as if to be the next latest greatest story on the evening news. Her eyes are sparkling with every word she speaks as long as you don't ruin that story by asking her to clean her room or clean up the latest mess she has made.
Then the life slowly drains from her as she clutches her body and falls to the closest soft place where she can begin to sing that whining song of "Do I have to?" You can't help but laugh just because you know it is a routine you have heard before and will hear again because you know you did it all yourself. When I think of all these things, I quickly try to think of what dreams I had at that age. I try to think of what types of things I experienced at that age and how they have changed in today's world. Lets face it, if we would all take a step back and stop pressuring the kids of today so much, their dreams aren't much different than ours. They want good jobs, they want money to get the things they want or need. They want to get married and some want children. So why do they all seem sex crazed and into the drugs and alcohol and rock and roll and that is all we see as adults. Maybe as the adults we should take enough responsibility to look at what we are teaching them by our own actions and not just our words. Are we forcing our dreams upon them? Are we trying to live our dreams through them? Are we really listening to them? Do we consider them as someone to be listened to? It is time to take our training wheels off and be the adult so they can be the child.

The following video is extremely powerful but must be watched with caution. Please take the time to watch it. Children DO Learn what they live! and Your actions will speak louder than your words.

"Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Proverbs 22:6