Acting Out!

In one of my posts I recall mentioning that kids are screaming everywhere, no matter where you go these days. Especially in the stores that we frequent. Children in my neighborhood also. I overheard one of the workers, doing some odd job next door say. "I don't know why kids have to scream all the time!" I remember agreeing with him, silently. We have new children on the block. Their mother said to me about her little boy , "he screams all the time, because he can't talk yet." "I can't stand it." I remember thinking, I can't either.

Some of you will understand what I mean when I say that I have been praying the "Prayer of Jabez." My territory has been increased by at least six people recently. Two of the six have been young children. One of them is the little boy who does nothing but scream. Yesterday, he tried to tell me something. It is funny because he doesn't talk to strangers. Sadly, I could not understand what he was saying, as it was in a foreign language. I asked his brother what he had said but he didn't know. The other three people were neighbors at the church I attend. They came right up to me and confided in me. One lady is receiving radiation treatment for her cervix. I'll be praying for her. One young man was in need of odd jobs, like shoveling snow. The other, expressed her desire to come to church with her husband, she was turning her car around.

Last week, someone relayed to me that he hits his mother in the face and on the arm. When I asked why, he said, "she works." It appears that he has been feeling angry toward his poor tired mom, who has to work, and does so much for him. So I said does your daddy work? He said "yes." Do you hit him? "No." (Here we go with the double standard). Some Mom's have to do it all, having little time for themselves. My next question was, "do your friends moms at day care have to work?" "No." "Well of course they do, or they wouldn't be in day care". Small children just don't get it. It is personal to them. And, they can't help how they feel, so they act out.

Someday they will appreciate all the hard work that mom did on their behalf. That may take years from now. Meanwhile, they need to express how they feel. Feelings are neither right nor wrong they just are. Lucky are the children whose parents understand that they just need to let it out. We need to allow them to "vent" in healthy ways. To those who don't know it yet, they will. Children will get your attention any way they have to. I still can recall all the bellyaches my cousin had every time my aunt had to go somewhere.

I'm lucky that my grandson has two wonderful parents who understand their child and put him first. When he acts out they say things like "he'll outgrow it". Or, "he really has challenged us today". "Its the terrible two's." Their love for him is unconditional, as it should be. We see how much he loves them.

When Nate comes to grandmas we talk and I'll say in agreement, "me too!" and he repeats it back, "meee too!" Then, we laugh. When he wants to let out a scream, I do too, then we laugh. Is anyone listening out there?