A Beautiful Child's Mind

I see the world in a whole new way when I look at it as Brynna does.  Kids make sense of the things we struggle with.  Children find simple what we complicate.  Oh, the lessons we could learn if we stop talking and just listen to their minds work...

• Make sacrifices for others - Brynna is potty-trained but still wears a pull-up for nap and bedtime. She got home from school the other day and went to use the bathroom.  When she called desperately for me to come help, I found her struggling to get her pants down.  She was still wearing the pull-up from nap time and had panties on UNDER the pull-up.  I asked what she was doing; she knows better than that.  She said, "Mom, I just needed my panties on like this.  Minnie Mouse wanted to be close to me."
• You can never be too cautious - Brynna had her doll with us recently and we had to stop for a potty break.  I explained that Baby Doll wasn't big enough use the toilet but could sit on my lap while she waited.  Brynna looked at me with all seriousness and said, "Mommy, do you even know how to be careful with a baby?"
• Lend a helping hand -   After the above-mentioned trip to the restroom, Brynna picked up her baby and said, "Oh, it's ok.  I know.  I'm here."  (Apparently in those 37 seconds, I had done severe damage for which she needed to compensate.)  Then she turned to me and said, "Ok, Mommy, it's your turn.  Now, let me help you.  It's for big kids, so I'll have to put you on the potty."
• Think outside the box - I picked Brynna up from school the other day and Ms. Pat informed me that she'd been discussing my work with her friend Kate.  Brynna told them that her mommy sells houses.  Kate responded, "That's silly.  You can't sell houses.  They don't make boxes big enough to put them in."  When I asked Kate about it, she said, "I guess I could help you.  If you get me a box big enough, I'll decorate it so you can put the house in."

And from a generation a bit older than my little lady...

• Love your spouse.  Be a parent.  Because it matters. - Ed and Lisa Young, our pastors at Fellowship Church, recently did a "Bed-in" where they promoted their new book, Sexperiment, and reached millions of people by spending 24 hours on the roof of the church doing interviews and talking about the importance of having sex God's way.  At one point in the live broadcast, their 4 kids joined them to share their thoughts.  EJ, Laurie, Landra and LeeBeth talked about what it feels like to have their parents so publicly talk about a somewhat embarrassing topic. Rather than being embarrassed, though, 3 of the 4 kids (all young adults) said that seeing their parents work at their marriage makes them feel secure.  It gives them peace to know that they don't have to worry if they'll have a place to come home to.

Oh, the lessons we could learn if we stop talking and just listen to their minds work...