Skip to main content

I'm Tired of Listening to Your Story

 We all have a story to tell.

 

















History shows that many intelligent people and many great leaders were story tellers.

So, that of course must mean that must our children are going to be successful as well, because boy can they talk. When many children are between the ages of 3 or 4 all the way up until to 10 years or so…they don’t shut up! And then … it strangely drops off at 11, but anyhow…

It’s true. 

You know what I mean.

Your children tend to tell you something step-byyyyy-step-byyyyy-step-, byyyyyy sttttteppp; like a recipe.

Here you are, waiting impatiently for the end (if you even listen that long), then probably forget what they’ve even said. Sometimes they do too.

Being a parent, this is par for the course.

However,   do you ever feel like just when you are in the middle of something, your child has the longest story to tell?

Sometimes you hear what they are saying and politely grin and say, ‘tell me more’, but you’re not really in to it.

I understand.

It just never seems like there’s enough time to sit and listen to them. 

In this day and age we are always rushing off to somewhere, and if we aren’t rushing to somewhere we are rushing from somewhere and if we aren't dashing to something, we are rushing through something.

Once in a while, I feel the urge to wave my hand at them and sputter…
’ Okay, okay already…just spit it out!’ 

But somehow, I continue listening, while my grin gets bigger and magically my patience gets greater. But not without gritting my teeth.

I feel bad about it. I know that the reason they want to tell me stories is because they trust me, they love me and want to share who they are, and what they see, with me. And sadly, the less I show my interest, the less they want to keep talking. 

They can feel my mood, see the rolling eyes and hear the tapping of the foot, even if I try to conceal it.

So, in keeping this in mind, and try to be patient by looking at it this way; they are only little once. And even though I hate waiting 5 whole minutes for my son or daughter to explain what happened on the playground, I try to give them my full attention…it’s not a long time out of my life and if I don’t listen to them now, what makes them think I will listen to them later?

They won’t always be this cute, nor will they always need to use so many words to explain things.

So Savor the Stories. 

Someday you’ll be begging to hear one.

Truly,
Amber


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

Back to School Anxiety: Bullying

Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul
Read more

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! '  to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside
Read more

Good Customer Service At Home

Over the years, my careers have mainly been customer service based. I started in a family business and then moved on up through the rungs from waitress, to hostess, to sales associate, manager and eventually the GM of a hotel. In all my years, my training taught me that you should always do your best to take your customer all the way to what they need, make them happy, and never leave them until they are done with you. I pride myself on my customer service abilities. Though the other day, I think I failed at customer service in my own home! I was getting ready to cut my daughter's hair and because of how long it had gotten (she's been growing it out for a year!) I felt this time it would be best  if instead of me spritzing it with water, she could wash and condition it real quick. She was fully clothed so I just suggested she run into the bathroom and wash her hair in the tub. She’s fourteen. I suppose I just assumed that she knew how to kneel over the tub and do it.
Read more