I hope you all had the kind of relaxing weekend that Mary and I did. We needed it! I suspect most of you could use a little relaxation now and then as well.
Mary enjoyed crocheting a jacket and I took a couple of hours to finish James Patterson’s I Alex Cross. Those of you who are Patterson Fans know this is an old book; that tells you just how far behind, in relaxing, I have become.
On page 266 I came across some great parenting advice. This from Alex Cross a criminal detective, not a child psychiatrist, psychologist, or even a pediatrician. Here’s what Alex said: One of my theories, and Nana’s, about raising kids is that you cannot give them too much love, but that the environment inside your house has to bear a relationship to what they will face on the outside. So no excess coddling or making excuses for unacceptable behavior.
I couldn’t agree more! But I would add that just as you can’t make excuses or accept excuses for unacceptable behavior from your kids, you can not make excuses or accept excuses for yourself.
When I finished the book Mary, who does not like to read novels, asked if I had learned anything from the hours I spent with my face glued to Patterson’s work. “Yes,” I answered. “I did. It’s like Sean (our oldest son) says you can learn something every day if you try hard enough. And I learned if I keep my mind open I can learn from just about anyone, including a fictional criminal detective.” When I read her the paragraph above, she agreed!
Enjoy your week!