When Things Are HARD

I never thought that my child would bring home a report card like this!!  My sweet son who is a freshman in high school had me in tears last night.  Yesterday was report card day and has always been a day to be celebrated.  Well last night it was a time for tears!  As my husband carried his TV and X-Box out of his room I cried and reminded him that since the day he was born I have made sure that he had everything he needed to be successful.  I told him of all I did during his crucial beginning years of development to help him learn and grown.  I pointed out how hard his dad and I work to make sure that he has all he needs and most of what he wants.   As the words came out of my mouth....I had a moment of clarity.

I HAVE CREATED A CHILD WHO HASN'T LEARNED HOW TO WORK HARD!!  How did this happen?  I just want him to be happy and have a good childhood.  But he has never really had to struggle.  He is such a good soul--so kind and well-behaved, he's very bright and in GRC and always just "gotten it"....friends have always come easy, grades have come easy.  And, we love him sooo much that we love to give him things he wants.  We don't lavish him with material things year-round, but when Christmas and birthdays come, he's set.  He's had a very easy road in his near 15 years.   I've taken such good "care" of my child that he hasn't learned what to do when things are "hard."

As we talked about why he got the grades he received, he kept saying...it's hard.  There is a lot to remember.  However, I hardly see him study--and we've pointed this out numerous times.

Well, the season of struggle has begun.  This will definitely be a character building time for my sweet boy.  He will learn how to work hard, how to persevere and how to "shoot" for excellence and not just do enough to get by.  

I guess I'm glad this happened.   It's not fun to ground your child from all of the fun I love to see him have, but I don't want him leaving our home sheltered and not knowing how to work hard and survive times of struggle.  Because if one thing is certain, he will face adult challenges soon enough and life can be so HARD.  

Being a parent is HARD.