Defiance Defined

“Mommy take me out and spank my bottom!!”

This was just one of the things that Eliza decided to scream during mass this weekend. She also added her favorite songs , Old McDonald, Twinkle Twinkle, and The Itsy Bitsy Spider which added humor for those that sat around us. However, it allowed for Brian and I to become increasingly frustrated as mass wore on.

Eliza is one of those kids that drives you crazy, but also makes it hard to discipline her because she defies so happily. Rarely does she ever “throw a fit”. Usually her defiance consists of continued chatter when I’ve asked for quiet or continued singing when we’re in places like church. We’ve had many people give “suggestions” on how to handle such a child. Anything from take her out and spank her when she misbehaves to just ignore her. So far she has out-smarted us on all fronts. Luckily, she doesn’t misbehave every Sunday to the extent that she did today.

When I became a teacher veteran teachers used to explain to me that they learned new things each year that they taught. Now that I’m a parent I am learning new things each and every day.
I believe that a defiant child is just another one of those wonderful lessons that God throws at parents. Instead of discouraging me has become a challenge for me. I figure that if I can make it through the day dealing with a child like Eliza then I can make it through most anything in life.

My mom once commented about Eliza saying “I wonder how she’s going to focus all that energy when she gets older?” It was her nice way of saying, “What a wild child.” But as we crawl through these defiant days I too look forward to Eliza focusing her energy.

St. Catherine of Siena once said ,“By Humble and faithful prayer, the soul acquires, with time and perseverance, every virtue.” Time and perseverance are very important in parenting. As Eliza grows I hope she continues to be just as spunky as she is now, and I pray that I have the virtue to deal with her spunk.
　
Blessings I'm thankful for today
Eliza

Remember to always count your blessings--especially the small ones!! :)