Lindsay's Tree

Contrary to their parents’ wishes, children really have no idea how their actions affect the ones around them. And they shouldn't. They are, after all, kids. My daughter often looks at me with that evil look that only a child can give. I swear, she must practice the look in the mirror, because no person that young should be able to naturally give good evil face. As parents, we must forget everything we learned from watching our own parents raise us. We must forget what we read in the books. And, we must forget what the doctors, nurses, and other specialists say we should do. Don't get me wrong: all of these folks have valuable input. And the advice always sounds so perfect at the time it is imparted upon us. However, in the actual moment of difficult situations, everything we have been taught, read, or heard goes out the window in a split second. That is why parenting is not about raising children based on others' experiences, it is about discovery: discovery of what works with our own child. And the reason so much discovery happens is because every child is so incredibly different. This leads me to my next point ... parenting is less about making sense of situations and more about patience: extraordinary patience. After all, children do strange things. Trying to make sense of the insane things they do will only frustrate you more. In fact, grown-up logic has no place when trying to diffuse a difficult situation. Children have no idea what you're saying, they don't care, and you will only find yourself amazingly angry when you can't get through to them. This is absolutely your fault, not theirs. That is why, if given the choice, I am most certain many parents would opt out of raising their children from age 11 - 18. I know this, because I have often thought about fleeing to a very secluded island where I can sip fruity drinks all day and take long, relaxing strolls on the beach. If only it were that easy ... Want to know what happens next? Tune in tomorrow for the next installment of Lindsay's Tree. ~Lindsay