Sammy came back from a trip overnight school trip. As I sat in the car, I watched him goofing around with his friends, laughing, portraying an image of happiness. The car door opens and BOOM… he turns into the miserable child who is wrought with over tiredness.
A while ago, after watching this similar behavior over and over again I called him on it. There is a story of the “2 Carolines” in the Bedtime Stories. It is about a child acting one way with her teacher and then coming home and treating her mother horrible. One day after she is rude to her mother, her mom tells her there is a visitor in the living room. Of course Caroline is shocked to see her teacher sitting there and had listened to her horrid behavior and was there for dinner.
I never forgot that story. I called Sammy (and the other boys in general) on their behavior. How could they be one way with their friends and then another with family in the car? “You are being 2 faced!” I will never forget Sammy’s answer…”You do it too with your friends!” (SLAP ME ACROSS THE FACE)!
How many times have I yelled and then one of my friends comes to the window, I put a smile on and talk all nice?
Way is it so easy to be the hardest on the ones you love the most?
I have been trying really hard to be REAL with my children and my friends all the time. Would I act like this if my friend was in the room? I sure hope so or at least have made a bigger effort.
Well said! I get after Brady for this type of behavior and it is true for all of us. It is just so much easier to see in our children than ourselves. You…my dear are a fountain of knowledge and wisdom 🙂