Parents Certainly Are Misunderstood!
By Steven C. Staats
You thought you were happily smiling at your child
from a hard stadium seat or a hot packed auditorium,
But your child looked at your face and saw approval
of him and joy in what he was doing.
You thought that you were just patting him on the
back or on the head, or just ruffling his hair,
But your child cherished the warm loving touch and
his heart was brightened.
You thought you were reading a bedtime story with
all the funny and scary voices,
But your child enjoyed the fact you read every word
even though he had heard them a hundred times
before.
You thought you were letting your child help paint
the house even though the paint got kind of runny
and drippy in places,
But your child knew that you were working together
as a family and felt a sense of accomplishment as a
family.
You thought you were singing silly songs or counting
the cows on a long boring trip,
But your child learned that it was fun being
together no matter where you were.
You thought you were spending a few minutes of your
time by throwing a ball in the back yard or baking
some cookies,
But your child, who realized that your time is
precious, knew you were investing it in him.
You thought that you asked your child's opinion
about something that wasn't too important,
But your child thought you asked because his
opinions and thoughts were important.
You thought you were being a good host by inviting
your child's friends in for a cool snack on a warm
summer day,
But your child knew that his friends were important
to you and always welcome in your home.
You thought the tears in you eyes went unnoticed
when your child accomplished an important goal in
his life,
But your child knew that he was deeply imbedded in
your heart and you sensed his accomplishment.
You thought that the refrigerator was as good of a
place as any for hanging all the art work and "well
done" papers that came home from school,
But your child felt important when he came home from
school each day with something to show you and tack
up in his personal hall of fame.
You thought you gave your child some simple chore or
job to do and told him, "Well done.", with a smile
when he did it,
But your child learned responsibility and began to
realize he could tackle even tougher things.
You thought you were helping a troubled restless
child get some sleep by fixing a cup of hot cocoa,
But your child felt that you were opening your heart
around a kitchen table and making all the problems a
lot smaller.
You thought the vacation wasn't much of a success
because the fish didn't bite and the sun didn't
shine,
But your child still remembers everything that
happened and he still laughs at all of the funny
parts.
You thought you were just pointing out the words in
the church hymn book with your child's finger as he
tried to sing along,
But your child learned that singing praises to God
in worship was important.
You thought you were just giving him a quick hug at
a special moment or "just because",
But your child carried it with him for a long time,
because what you really said was, "I'm proud of
you!", or "I love you!"
You thought you were just giving him a little kiss
on the cheek to tell him good bye as he left for
school,
But your child felt warm and loved because he knew
there would be another one waiting for him when he
got home.
Come to think of it, there are a lot of times when
parents really are misunderstood!