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I shared this story on our Facebook and Instagram page recently about a lesson my daughter taught me on on how to listen better. It seemed to resonate well with other parents so I though I would share it here.
Kids can teach you big lessons and sometimes you’re so busy parenting you forget to listen. Earlier this week in my mommy brain fog I had forgotten a bag of grocery left right at my parking space as I was buckling my youngest in the car. Later I told my 7 year old daughter (who wasn’t there at the time) how annoyed I was at myself for having forgotten. She said she “felt really bad for me.”
Flash forward to today we were running errands and happened to stop by a store. She asked for a hair clip and I said no (it was $20 for just one clip!) After we left she kept asking me to check if I had $20 in my purse and kept asking). I got upset and gave her a big lesson on how it wasn’t because I didn’t have $20 it was because we couldn’t always buy things we wanted, how money doesn’t grow on trees, blah blah blah. She remained silent and listened to my “parenting.”
Later that day at a coffee shop I was emptying out my purse which inevitably had a bunch of empty tissues, kids junk, etc. One of the items I threw away was a crumpled white envelope which I thought was empty. Tonight my sweet daughter – the one who I got upset over because I though she didn’t realize the value of money – confided in me she had left me a present in my purse. In that crumpled envelope was a $20 bill she took from her piggy bank to pay me back for the groceries I’d lost. (She only has $30 in her piggy bank total).
See, she didn’t want me to check my purse to pay for the hair clip. She wanted me to find her surprise. She had taken an old envelope and had snuck it in my purse without me looking. I was floored, humbled, and incredibly touched. (And annoyed at myself once again that I threw out the envelope!)
Next time I will listen more . I will read between the lines and give my child the benefit of the doubt.
What lessons have your kids taught you lately?
Agnes Hsu is a mom of three and has been inspiring parents and kids to get creative with easy activities and family friendly recipes for over 10 years. She shares her love for creative play and kids food to her 2MM+ followers online. Agnes' commitment to playful learning and kindness has not only raised funds for charity but also earned features in prestigious nationwide publications.