45% of the Time

My daughter and I were doing a little soul searching together last night. I asked her if she would remember her childhood as a happy one...she thought for a moment, hesitant to answer, "I guess so, but you and daddy fight a lot." What! We fight a lot? I mean occasionally we have words but fight a lot...I had to do some serious thinking about this one. I guess truth be told we do raise our voices on occasion, especially when things get hectic and no one is listening.

I then asked her if she thought I was a good Mom? She told me like 45% of the the time. Hold on a minute 45%, you have got to be kidding me. I make Halloween Costumes, I let you have lots of friends over, I provide her with lots of great reading material. What more could a girl possibly want?!! After much negotiation I got her up to 75%, okay I could deal with that, I am only human after all.

Tonight her and her brother got into a real rockem sockem. He ended up with a tennis ball to the eye and I am sure a nice shiner for school tomorrow. When I sent her to her room explaining that she was older and 3 times his size and could seriously hurt him, she turned to me with a blank expression on her face and said "45%... Mom."

So I guess to be a good Mom I have to give her everything she wants and let every mistake go unnoticed. As she was going much later to check up on her brother I stopped her in the hall and said "that is okay honey, I love you 100% of the time and that is what matters most." She smiled...I think I maybe back up to 75%! Hurray!

xo,
Sher