As parents, our main responsibilities are to care for, guide, educate and train our children. The kind of adults they will become depends on the lessons they receive in those first years of life.
A word that often comes out of our mouths during the training and care of our children, is the famous "no." Obviously our job besides caring for them is to tell them what things they can or cannot do, according to their age, maturity or abilities.
But a mother has put us all to think that perhaps it is a good idea to give a little once in a while and start saying "yes" to some things. The reason? Life is too short and unpredictable to deny everything to our children all the time.
Rachel Ann Carpenter is the mother of Nevaeh, a 10-year-old girl, and responsible for making us consider using the "yes" from time to time with our children, by telling a terrifying experience he had with his daughter in a Facebook post.
Life is too short to say NO all the time. In these times last year she asked me if I could dye her hair pink and I said no. A few days later in a camp, they were doing a demonstration that involved fire, but something went wrong and she went on fire. He ended up with terrible burns in 70% of his body. In these times last year we were in the hospital with her, not knowing if she would survive or not. So this time when she asked if she could have pink hair, I said yes. That experience taught me that you never know how much time you have left, with anyone. So say yes more often, and don't worry if someone thinks your daughter with pink hair is ridiculous!
Rachel Ann's experience made us put things in perspective. There is something that is completely true in what it says: None of us knows how much longer we will have life next to those we want. How many things are we going to stop doing or deny our children? Is it really bad to let them dye their hair in fancy colors?
It reminds me of a phrase by Armando, who shared the story of another mother, who was rained criticism by dyeing her daughter's pink hair: there are much worse things that are considered valid by regulars.
Of course I'm not at all suggesting that we say yes to everythingWell, this can be counterproductive, but they will only be children once. Fulfill their illusions, let them experiment a little and give in to any of their wishes occasionally, it will certainly be something they will remember for a lifetime and will draw a huge smile on their face.
Let's enjoy the time we have with them, without waiting for something like Rachel Ann and Nevaeh to happen to us. Life is too short to not enjoy and let go a little -Of course, within the limits- with our children.
