Homework and Prayers

For some reason, this guy and I have been butting heads. 

I think the fact of the matter is that he and I are very much alike.  Mainly, we are both very stubborn and strong willed.  I have felt lately like I have been such a nag with Chad.  It is tricky when he is the only child in school.  He has to get up before the other boys, and he has less control over how his time is spent because he is at school.  What time he does have at home, he still has homework to complete, his room to clean and he needs to help out around the house now and then.  On top of that, I think he is thirsting for more attention.  I've got to work on that.   What attention he does get is mom pestering him to "do" something: get up, get ready, go use the bathroom, do his homework, go to bed.  And because he does not actually "do" any of the thinks I ask when I ask, I have become the nag.  So, earlier this week when he forgot his homework folder at school, and then missed one morning of school feeling sick, I knew it was going to be a royal battle to get him to complete 6 pages of homework in one night.  Don't get me wrong, they are not hard.  He is very smart and capable.  If he just sat and focused, he'd have them done in no time.  But usually, one page a night is a challenge so I knew that six would be torture. 

What actually happened was only by chance.  I had gotten the majority of our dinner in the oven and I had some time with no other commitments.  I called Chad into the kitchen to encourage him to get started on what felt like a mountain of worksheets.  He sat at the counter and I pulled up a chair next to him.  He knew he had my undivided attention.  We made the homework fun.  I'd race him on a question now and then; he'd tell me what color to color a portion of his page; we pretended that the word bank box was a carnival game and hover the pencil above the words until it stopped on the one he had to use next.  Case in point-he got four of the six pages done in just 20 minutes!!!  We finished the last two just after dinner.  I could hear in his voice that he felt important because I was taking time for him.  Real time-not just nagging time.  His behavior has improved in the day or so since then.  I made a little effort that same day to buy him new shoelaces (his work worn out) and an alarm clock (the morning wake-up routine has been driving me nuts) and those two little things on top of mom taking some time for just him seems to have spoken to his little soul that he matters.  That he is valued.  Oh, how I love that kid!  Now, I need to lock this experience into my memory and do better at making it constant. 

Then, there's this little guy.  He is at such a sweet stage!  Sure, he is starting tantrums, and he hits and screams when he can't seem to tell me what he needs, but he is also pretty sweet and so dang cute!  Lately, I have been noticing that when we pray, he seems to be echoing the words that we say. 

So, when the other night at bedtime, instead of me saying his prayer for him, I asked him to say it and I whispered the words into his ear, pausing for him to repeat.  He did it!  Oh, it warmed my heart!  To the point that I had to stop whispering words to him because my heart was so full.  Mostly, he just repeated the last word that I'd say, but he understands what he is doing, and he has the loudest "Amen".  It is so precious to hear someone so little utter heartfelt words to his Heavenly Father. 

Such a darling little boy at a sweet stage. 

These are the payoff moments of motherhood that make it all worth it.