Remember being a kid and your parents or the adults around you sitting down and being like:

” Go get me XYZ.”

You’d do it without

question on the quickness even if you hated it and knew they were capable. Shoot, you could’ve been sitting down yourself in your own world – enjoying life.

Well…I do it to my kids all the time.

I recognized I was doing it a little “too much”.

Told my kids to push back on me when I’m telling them to go get stuff for me. That I can get it myself.

Their implementation was quick! bahahahahahahahaha

Today, I was sitting in my office chair on the ground level.

Told one of my sons who was near me – go get me the peanuts and a cup. (It was upstairs)

He goes -, “Respectfully, no.”*

I turned around in my chair and stared at him  like:

WHAT!?!

He goes: You told me to tell you to get it yourself.

I’m thinking yea true.

He smiled and went on his way.

Inwardly, I’m like why the foolockie I do this to myself! Always coming up with some new family SOP.

I got up and got my own peanuts and cup.

I’m capable and need to get the steps in.

Mobility is a gift!

My children are not my servants.

Now, are there times to pull rank – yes. But doing it everyday all day – unbalanced.

My great grandmother who has passed on once told me that if she stopped getting up to do stuff for herself – then that meant she was ready to be done with Earth (paraphrasing). When family members would offer and demand to do things for her – she would often refuse.

This specific great grandmother lived well into her 90s in her own home and in her right, feisty mind loving Jesus.

I declare that I’m living to 120 years young – with what she had and then some!

I’ll be getting up more often to get my own things!

How can we be thankful for mobility yet want to always stay sitting? And to do what….lol….stream and scroll?!?

Anyone else about this give your kids a break, DIY life?

Muah,
LonisaMari.com

* (working with kids to stop softening “no” with “respectfully” and to stop softening honesty – the truth with – “to be honest”. Just say it straight up and don’t try to help the recipient emotionally regulate – too much weight to carry. Drop the load and make them step up to lift themselves higher. Gotta make sure to do it safely – in case an entitled recipient trys to get fired up. Discernment.)