One morning, my younger son Jayden asked me to take his empty milk bottle. When I told him to wait, this was his reply: "You take the bottle now or I am going to 'eff' you!"
"What? What did you just say?" I asked him, aghast. He's only 4 and talking like a gangster! Where had he picked up all this from? Not only that, he had also dished out other unthinkable threats like "Do this now or I am going to kill you!" or "Do this now or I am going to destroy you!"
I am definitely going through a parenting crisis. When and why has my little angle turned into a devil? He used to be the youngest and cutest, attracting everyone's attention with his cherubic good looks and angelic behaviour. Now he is attracting attraction for being demanding, loud and rude.
He even scolds the other drivers who get in my way for me, "Stupid driver." I have only myself to blame for being such a poor example to my children. I don't say 'eff', 'kill' or 'destroy' but I certainly do dish out threats a lot, "Do this now or I will punish you" and scold other drivers a lot.
Now I am trying my best to constantly remind Jayden to stop being loud and rude and start being gentle and polite. And I have to watch my own behaviour and manner of speaking because the little one picks up all the bad habits from me and his brother. I wish I could go back in time and start all over again.
Start being a better mother, start setting a better example, start practising the values I preach. May God grant me the grace and strength to start anew and to exemplify what it means to show love and kindness in the words I use.
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