By Leah Spina
Last week, I was feeding baby Hannah in herbrpink nursery. Two-year-old Esther was clawing my legs for attention. But I wasbrdistracted by an odd, reoccurring sound. I kept hearing five-year-old Samsonbrrip by the nursery door, running as fast as he could, over and over again.
Finally, Samson emerged into the nursery,brhuffing and puffing like the wolf on The Three Little Pigs. His face was brightbrred and beads of sweat stood on his little nose. “Mom! Mom! Mom! I'm running onbrmy TRACK! I'm working out! I be strong! How many more times should I go?”
My husband, David, is training for a bigbrbiathlon in west Texas in the blazing heat. He invites Samson to join him forbrhis daily garage gym workouts. So, apparently today, when Dave had to gobrworkout at his real gym, Samson didn't want to fall behind. So Samson createdbrhis own workout. He formed a special “track” – running on top of three leatherbrcouches, then jumping to an end table, tearing into the master bedroom, hoppingbrover the bed and landing in a pile of pillows. Over and over.
I looked down at my little over-achieving,brfirst-born son. “How about three more times around the track?” I smiled,brrocking the baby back and forth in the black glider. Samson looked down at hisbrhand and slowly formed three fingers to hold toward me, “Like this, right?”br“Right, buddy.”
When I saw Samson conquering his homemadebrtrack, over and over, I tried to make a mental parent note. Samson is drivenbrand puts a lot of pressure on himself. I.e. when working on handwriting hebroften asks, “Did I do it PERFECT?” It's obvious now, but what about when he isbrin middle school, or high school? He will still have the same make-up andbrpersonality, but I won't see it as clearly. I need to remember Samson asbrfive-year-old, to better parent him as a 15-year-old.
Young children offer parents a short, uniquebrperspective into their innate makeup and personality. We get to see their budding personalities unmasked because theybrare so young. Wise parents (like you and me – ha!) will take note of ourbrchild’s strengths and weaknesses so we can better parent today and in thebrfuture.
Bonus: When we remember our child's corebrstruggles as we parent, it lends compassion and empathy instead of anger andbrresentment. Just like when we extend grace to our spouse, or vice versa,brbecause we they struggle with an area in their innate personality and make-up.
Does your young child constantly seek yourbrapproval as a parent – am I big, am I the best, did I do a good job? Right nowbrour children's strengths and weaknesses are in our face, all day long. Is yourbrchild tender? Is your child strong-willed – i.e. future leader? Theybrdemonstrate their needs, we don't have to guess. But they may not always be sobrobvious as older children and teenagers.
Young children give us a unique window ofbropportunity to see their personality unmasked. Take time to analyze your childbrtoday so you can better parent now and in the days to come.
Takeaway: Can you see your young child’s strengths and weaknesses startingbrto emerge? How can you help them grow in their strengths? If you see somebrweaknesses, how can you address that and help your child to grow?
Photo via Flickr.
Leah Spinabris a former journalist of a national newsweekly turned stay-at-home mom tobrthree children, age five and under. She lives in the Dallas area with herbrhusband, David, and is a speaker to mom groups and conferences. Her new book Stopbrand Smell Your Children: Laugh and Enjoy the Little Years helps parents tobrenjoy, not just endure, the little years by changing their parentingbrperspective. Visit leahspina.com to sign-up for Leah’s free weekly parentingbrblog and video. You can also follow her on Instagram (leahthespina) andbrFacebook. When Leah is not burning macaroni and cheese, she enjoys singingbrItalian opera, riding horses and drinking inordinate amounts of Starbucksbrcoffee.