I was on the plane heading to Atlanta and a mother with 3 boys under the age of 6 boarded the plane. I could tell by standing in the security line it was going to be a long flight. It was evident that the mother did not know how to handle the distress her boys showed and I found my self feeling sad for the one in the middle.
I didn’t feel sorry for the boy becaue he was the middle child. I felt sad for him because she had forgotten he too was little and needed assurance. He was starving for s sense of security, assurance, and connection. I so bad wanted to ask her if I could hold him but I knew it would not be the same. He needed to be held by the one who he called mom. Because she did not read him well, he whined and fussed throughout the trip. She stayed annoyed with him and did not see the need he had from her.
Too often the solutions for our child’s behavior is rght in our hands. If we can remember the power of our touch, a close hug, a calming voice, etc., we can impact our kids when they are scared, fearful, and frustrated.
Don’t forget that most problems in life are not complex. They take time, patience, teaching, knowledge of our hildren, and above all, faith in the One who created our children.
