Being Humbled

It's so easy to look at children and judge their parents. I confess, I've done it for years as a teacher. My child will never be the one to throw a temper tantrum on an airplane. My child will always accept responsibility for her actions. My child will take verbal redirection the first time. My child is the one everyone wants to visit because she's so sweet and pleasant.

So, I'm the proud parent of a typical four-year-old. She throws temper tantrums, she blames others, and she refuses to listen when she's being redirected. She was so sweet and compliant for so long, and when one trick stopped working, the next one just plugged right in for a smooth transition. Anymore, consequences don't work; they only make the tantrums more explosive. Ignoring the fits doesn't work, either. We've waited her out hours at a time. I don't want to always offer rewards, as that seems like bribing her to do the right thing.

I guess all that's left (which is what I should have done in the first place) is to go to my knees and ask for wisdom.