A Lesson Learned

I have a child who is good... really good.

He is soft. Sensitive. Well mannered. Kind. Quiet and obedient.

(Enter mom) Me. 

At times naive.

Sometimes aloof.

Assuming.

Because he is so good, at times I forget that he is human. Is going to sin. Will make mistakes. 

Truth of the matter... he has entertained some deceit in his young life. Nothing "major". Has hidden a few problems so that mom and dad still see him as their "easy" child. He's a pleaser, you see.

All this collided recently. A couple stories unfolded. We discovered some little things we didn't see before and were discouraged. Tears were shed. Hugs were given.

I know he's human. 

I'm human too.

I get busy. 

I lose focus.

I get frustrated and easily angered.

I can be deceitful too.

Through this ordeal I was forced to learn...

Don't assume.

Don't neglect silences. While some children openly sin or beg for attention in tiring ways, other children are puzzles that parents need to piece together.

Your easy child sometimes has issues you don't always see.

Talk to them.

Look at their schoolwork. Look for clues in their everyday life. 

Sometimes a quiet child can be holding back or hiding. They need you to help them look and uncover. 

Be nosey. Ask questions... good questions. 

Stop long enough to care.

Sit with them and just... be there.

Finding solutions may not be easy. But it's better than never caring to figure them out until it's too late.

Realize the most pressing things in life are "beings" who need you more than dirty socks, floors and other distractions do.

But don't ever assume... lesson learned.