Yesterday was Sunday. I went shopping to buy a gift to the daughter of my colleague. It will be her four years old birthday the day after tomorrow. I looked around and finally chose a beautiful house shaped saving box with two cute pigs lying beside the door. I gave it to my colleague in the afternoon and in the evening I got the telephone her child called with happiness and thanks. How beautiful the whole thing was!
This morning, I was told by my colleague that the saving box was broken last night just two minutes after the call. What the hell was going on there? Her daughter broke the new saving box with the old one when trying to remove the coins to the new one and one of the black corners was crashed off. She was very nervous and face was suddenly flushed because the new box gone bad just several minutes after she got it. What to do with it? What to say next? Beat your children? Scold your child? What if it was not a saving box, what if it was something you treasure and valuable? When I was a child, my mother published me at that time.
The moment my colleague started to outbreak, her daughter whispered:” Mom, you know, I broken the corner so that the separated part can be the smoke from the chimney. I won’t touch the house saving box any more.” What a forced interpretation!
Telling this story, I want every parent to stop a while to give a chance for your children’s explanation before your outbreak erupt and punishment follows. We are all grown ups and all can feel the sadness and self-blame when we do the wrong things. Our child can feel it too. Give your child a period time and let he recognize the lesson learned from the things he mess up. It is good for you both.
