When To Suck It Up (49/366)

Tuesday February 21, 2012

I've had a long weekend, and a busy start to the week. I've been writing the weekend's blogs in the Blogger App on my phone, but I don't care to publish from there.

I haven't turned on my computer since last week Thursday, so I apologize for the delay in getting these published.  They'll all be up by the end of today...

So with that said, on to today's post.

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No one likes a tattle-tale.  At least that's what we tell our kids when they're young, right?

Of course, there are certain times in life when it's okay, even necessary to tell.

But teaching children this difference is hard.

Especially if they're being bullied.  My new friend, and fellow blogger Sue Cramer recently blogged about bullying - read it here.

Today's post isn't about bullying, but about the small(er) stuff.  Thankfully, we haven't had to deal with bullying in school - yet.  I'm sure in some form or another however, it's coming.

My daughter Hannah is soooo sensitive.  Overly so at times.  But it's one of the qualities about her that make her so special.  We are at the point in her development that it's time we teach her when to tell, and when to suck it up.

For a sensitive soul, it's really hard to suck it up.  Not only is she sensitive, but much like her mommy, she is emotional.  When you've been hurt or offended, even in the slightest, your emotions take over.

Your mind wanders, it's all-consuming and at times feels like the end of the world.  Sucking it up is NOT an option!

So, while we're teaching her the difference between when to let things go and when it's important to tell, we're also trying to teach her to keep the communication lines open.  And we're trying to do this without seeming insensitive ourselves.

What a terrible web we weave!!

We want her to think of her parents as a safe place for her to land, and unload her problems.  As she grows, her problems won't be as insignificant as playground mishaps.  But the lessons start now.

These lessons are critical to life, and certainly our young daughter's emotional well-being. We don't want to squash her sweet, sensitive soul, but she needs to be able to brush some things off while maintaining her confidence and sense of self-worth.

I see nothing but success for Hannah.  As I've said in earlier posts, everything she touches seems to turn to gold.  We are continually feeding her with praise and compliments.

But we're real-life parents too. She knows there are bad people out there, she knows that not everyone is good.  And I think this is important for her to know - expecially since she is the sensitive one.  She tends to be trusting and maybe a little naive...

Today I'm thankful for the teachable moments, both big and small.  I'm thankful to be reminded of things that seem trivial to me, but are monumentous to Hannah and to take those opportunities to teach, to nourish and to love.