Great Expectations

Between reading countless Facebook brag posts, (My little Bella can say Merry Christmas in three languages and is already writing in cursive!...oh calm down, she's two) witnessing some interesting parental behavior at the Park District, (Oh, he's just getting upset because he's so independent...umm he's throwing a fit because class is over and he'd rather continue playing) & being around certain families in my salon (Go on, tell Liz about how you totally blew it on the last hole...OMG he's golfing 18 holes at barely a decade old, cut the kid some slack!) I've been reflecting on how as parents, we tend to think our kids are the smartest, sweetest, most adorable, most gifted children to ever grace the earth...they can do no wrong, & we find ourselves making excuses for their completely normal behavior, putting them up on pedestals they can't possible be ready to stand on (especially two & three year olds)! Sadly, it seems too much pressure can spiral into a situation like my client and his son, resulting in an extreme forecast of greatness on such tiny shoulders. We end up expecting a lot, and only because we love them SO much...and maybe we believe they can do the things we didn't. Have the opportunities we didn't get, become the star athlete, valedictorian, or prom queen we weren't. It might be hard to admit, but it happens all too easily. The most important thing I want my daughter to know is that my love for her isn't based on how beautiful she is, how well she does athletically, or how quickly she learns her ABC's. I don't love her because she's more intelligent than her peers, or because she's the best pianist in music class. Even if she isn't any of those things, I couldn't be any prouder of who she is becoming & I don't love her for any other reason than simply because she is Charlotte, my sassy stinker, with all her two-year old naughtiness, quirks & curious innocence. The joy in her giggles & the sweetness in her many hugs makes her my beloved child. She may turn out to be a rocket scientist or an Olympic swimmer. But for this short time she's just a silly, stubborn, affectionate toddler who will make mistakes, test my patience endlessly, & learn who she wants to be as she grows..with my help & on her own. I try to enjoy every minute of loving her for who she is today, this time goes by toooo fast.........