Today Chris and I had a lovely time spending the day with some homeschool families at Heppners Legacy Homeschool Resources bookstore in Elk River, MN. It was relaxing to spend one-on-one time with folks in the area. One mom, in particular, made our day with the counsel she sought. She was naturally concerned with the power struggle she has with her 3-year-old son. He’s a bright, active little guy, but he really loves to wear the same clothes every day: a Batman pajama shirt.
I, too, have had this issue with some of my young boys. My conclusion is not to fight them on this issue. So, I encouraged this mother to let him wear the Batman pajamas and let the battle go. I had this identical issue with my now-9-year-old son, and I even had an old family picture in my purse. I pulled out the picture and this is what this mother saw:
Click for full view
There’s my Noah at 3-years-old, plain as day, in the family picture several years ago. What a picture! And what a lesson. Noah is standing in the front row with his Superman pajama shirt, a shirt we couldn’t tear off of him at the time.
The mother’s mouth dropped to the floor. “That’s my answer!” she said. Chris said, “That’s a God thing,” and she replied, “Ya think?”
When Chris and I returned home, we saw this response in our email:
I just wanted to say “thank you” for your special visit to Elk River, MN! I learned so much from the two of you and it restored my energy (and faith) as a parent. As a mom of 3 young children, I simply devour any information on parenting and you two are certainly full of that! I pray that you all have a safe rest of your trip and good luck to Lydia at her competition! Thanks again for sharing with me…it really meant alot.
P.S. I am washing the Batman shirt tonight, so hopefully I have a good morning:)
I love to encourage mothers to be the best moms they can be. It’s not about the clothes they wear (and I understand the struggle), but it’s about letting the child go through the stage in their life and loving them through it. I’m so happy to see a mom willing to look beyond a dirty Batman shirt and love her child made in the image of God. She made my day!