The other night, as we climbed into the car after an evening at my parent’s house, my kids were going berserk. Yelling, teasing, complaining, and just generally discombobulating all over the place. I decided to put on some soothing music to calm them down. And to me, there is no more soothing song than the Beatles “Let It Be.”
Apparently, my kids agree, because they all quieted down to listen to Paul McCartney’s comforting libretto. It was quiet. And glorious. And magical. In fact, from now on, whenever I meditate, I’m gonna conjure that moment in the car when my kids all went from noise zealots to zen monks at the push of my Apple Music button.
But then, of course, I ruined it. I failed to heed Mother Mary’s words of wisdom when one of my kids–Rattled. A box. Of raisins.
That’s right. I ruined the magical car tranquility by demanding to know what was making that sound. The sound of raisins rattling in a box. The silence was broken. My kid got defensive. Then the other kids piled on. And instead of a peaceful ride home, I got a bickering ride home.
What’s my point? Parenting is hard, especially when your kids have a mental illness or some other sort of special needs. Don’t make it harder. Your kids already have plenty of behaviors that need correcting. Don’t add in unimportant stuff like rattling a box of raisins.
Did you have a “box of raisins” moment this week? Please share. Let’s learn from each other!
Nicole Roder
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