Sleepovers are Rites of Passages for kids and Levi's went really well. First off Ty's family picked him up from school and they went to play Mini Golf. He loved it and then they went home and camped out on the deck. Levi didn't really even ask for me which was great. They went to bed late and woke up at the crack of dawn but they loved playing so much that I brought Ty home in the morn and they played all day as well. I attacked weeds with the Weed Whacker until I got tired (and the motor got too hot and wouldn't restart).
Ty's parents and I talked when I went to pick him up. They loved having him and are going to take Levi one afternoon a week which will reduce his time at after school care. She said that they were going to invite a couple of kids but one of the other mothers said that if Levi was going then she didn't want to because Levi is a "bad influence". Now regardless of how much that makes me want to jump up and beat someone, I have to think really hard. The mother has a kid that I see as a fairly spoiled, bossy little guy that can't seem to do any wrong in his mother's eyes. Now if I am looking really hard at Levi, maybe he could be a fairly spoiled, bossy little guy as well, but at least I recognize it. But even after all of that, really how bad an influence can any 5 year old be? I mean really!
Maybe I can forgive the slight to Levi's character but it is a little difficult to forgive the broadcasting of that to other families that are my and Levi's friends. I told Ty's parents that the last thing that I wanted them to have to do was to choose a side over anything let alone something so ridiculously petty. At least all the classes were split up, so they are in different classes. I wouldn't do anything anyway. It won't hurt Levi. It will hurt me but I am big enough and ugly enough to be the parent. But I will watch. And I will have a low threshold for it actually impacting Levi. Really they are all 5 or 6. It is not like they are all going to be friends for life or anything. I mean how many people even remember friends they had in Grade 1. I see the early years of school as the place to learn things like getting along with other kids and working out differences
It is making me look harder at Levi and try to decide if perhaps the deluded parent is actually me. Maybe I think he can do wrong but I don't set enough store by it. Maybe I should be more controlling but even in the cold light of day I think it is nuts.
How is he possibly able to learn anything if I show him how all the time?
How can he possibly learn reasoning if I impose adult reasoning all the time?
How can he learn to value truth without at some point feeling the repercussions of a lie?
How is he supposed to mature if he never has to face up to any consequences or mistakes?
OK I am done!
Now for happier stuff. Our creek has changed since the big flood!
Now it has a beautiful place to swim under the trees where the first little rapid is. The kids can get in and it is incredibly safe for all out bigger kids. Ruby and her family and Ty's family all went down for a dip after the hot, humidity that was the day. The kids played in the water and threw rocks. They were so happy and relaxed. It did my heart good to watch them. They are so lovely together. At one point Ruby was having trouble getting across the stream and I when I let Levi know he came running over and held her hand until she was across safely. It was a lovely afternoon!
Then tonight just when I thought it wasn't possible to love that little man more he said to me:
Maybe I can forgive the slight to Levi's character but it is a little difficult to forgive the broadcasting of that to other families that are my and Levi's friends. I told Ty's parents that the last thing that I wanted them to have to do was to choose a side over anything let alone something so ridiculously petty. At least all the classes were split up, so they are in different classes. I wouldn't do anything anyway. It won't hurt Levi. It will hurt me but I am big enough and ugly enough to be the parent. But I will watch. And I will have a low threshold for it actually impacting Levi. Really they are all 5 or 6. It is not like they are all going to be friends for life or anything. I mean how many people even remember friends they had in Grade 1. I see the early years of school as the place to learn things like getting along with other kids and working out differences
It is making me look harder at Levi and try to decide if perhaps the deluded parent is actually me. Maybe I think he can do wrong but I don't set enough store by it. Maybe I should be more controlling but even in the cold light of day I think it is nuts.
How is he possibly able to learn anything if I show him how all the time?
How can he possibly learn reasoning if I impose adult reasoning all the time?
How can he learn to value truth without at some point feeling the repercussions of a lie?
How is he supposed to mature if he never has to face up to any consequences or mistakes?
OK I am done!
Now for happier stuff. Our creek has changed since the big flood!
Now it has a beautiful place to swim under the trees where the first little rapid is. The kids can get in and it is incredibly safe for all out bigger kids. Ruby and her family and Ty's family all went down for a dip after the hot, humidity that was the day. The kids played in the water and threw rocks. They were so happy and relaxed. It did my heart good to watch them. They are so lovely together. At one point Ruby was having trouble getting across the stream and I when I let Levi know he came running over and held her hand until she was across safely. It was a lovely afternoon!
Then tonight just when I thought it wasn't possible to love that little man more he said to me: "Mum, you know how I think you are the best, all the other kids must think their mother's are the best!"
I told him he was right. (Not until after there was a little pang in my heart for all those little kids out there for whom that is not true)
"So you might not be the best of all, but you will always be the best to me!"
Yes he's right. I might not be the best mother ever but as long as he thinks that I am doing OK, that's sweet with me!
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