Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Dad-E and Mom-E to the Rescue

Dear Big Brother and Little Brother,

I know that I won’t always be able to protect you from some of the hurtful things in life.

And that’s okay: struggle, hardship, and adversity can be powerful teachers.

However, at your young age, sometimes it’s easier for Mom-E and Dad-E to just "take care" of some things without your knowledge.

We’ve had a couple of such things here recently.

Big Brother, you were so happy to get your first Transformer, Ratchet. If you thanked me and told me you loved it once, you did so about a million times. It was very sweet.

The other night we were out shopping at Target and Babies R Us. When we got home, I figured out that we didn’t get home with Ratchet. (Fortunately, you were tired and didn’t know the difference. Though I bet you would’ve noticed in the morning). The stores were closed, and I had no idea where we’d lost him.

To make matters worse, Ratchet had been placed in my pocket for safe-keeping. (Or NOT-SO-safe-keeping.)

I felt terrible. I knew you’d be devastated with the news that I’d lost him. So, after you went to bed that night, I went back out and bought a "replacement model" at the store. Fortunately, you did not detect a difference.

Little Brother, you recently got a new pair of Elmo flip-flops that are your favorite shoes. We had just returned home from shopping (don’t ask why, but it was our third trip to the grocery store that day). It was late, well past your bedtime, and we still had groceries to unload. I realized that we’d only got home with ONE flip-flop.

So, while Mom-E rocked you, I made a 4th trip to the store. Fortunately, we were lucky, and your shoe was lying in plain sight in the parking lot, right where we’d parked. You were asleep when I got home, blissfully ignorant to the fact that we temporarily lost one of your favorite flip-flops.

I hope you boys will understand our dilemma here. It’s (relatively) easy to go out and buy replacements for some things. However, to assume that this can be always be done lessens our responsibility to take care of our possessions. It’s also neither fair nor responsible on our part as parents for you to go through childhood without experiencing some “loss and hardship”, no matter how painful.

That said, Mom-E and I love you very much, and sometimes we elect to shelter you from minor hardships. Looking back, I hope you’ll feel that we handled it well.

I love you boys,
Busy-Dad-E

5 comments:

  1. That is so very sweet of you and a great way to avoid tantrums.

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  2. Parents definitely do play the "protector of all things and kids in the background role" at times, and I agree that there are times that they get a lesson in "loss and hardship" Remember when Big Brother lost his favorite tie at church a few months ago and no one could find it? That was a lesson and he handled it well with Mom-E's help when she told him the story of losing her favorite shirt. Big Brother and Little Brother are very good about showing their appreciation and gratefullness over big things and small things. Case in point: On Sunday Little Brother thanked me for changing his diaper.

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  3. Awwww...you guys rock as parents and I am sure that one day in the scope of the big picture...your two little boys will tell you so as men what special parents you both are(you may have to wait until they have children of their own, but you the day will come). Rosi

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  4. Very sweet story. They can learn hardship later. I say give and spoil lol. They are only little for so long. Ok well if THEY are irresponsible don't buy.. but if it's YOUR FAULT (shame on you) hurry and go buy! We don't want them to know we make mistakes!! hahahaha. I love this story. Very sweet and we would have done the same thing. They are our little angels for such a short time.
    My question is... where did Mom-E lose her shirt? hmmmmmmmmm??

    Miss you guys,
    Great Aunt K

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  5. That is such a sweet story. I fully understand the need to protect from loss and disappointment. It's ingrained as a parent. They are so little now that it's hard not to. Big Brother and Little Brother will receive those hard knocks from life later. I think it's more than ok to protect them now.

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