Thursday 27 March 2008

Subliminal Messages From Our Children

I needed a reminder. A promise was given that we could watch a movie the other night, but I was glued to my computer. There is always so many things to learn about on the web! The time went on and on.

A daughter would look through the door, sigh, then leave. A son would run in whining, "Dad, I want to watch a movie!" He always says that, so it was off my radar. Then one six year old sneaks in; I did not even realize she was behind me. A song began to come forth quiet and subtle first, then loud enough to really hear the words.

" I have the movie. I have the movie...that we want to watch...in my hands. I have the movie. I have the movie...that we want to watch...in my hands."

She really was saying, "Daddy, all our other attempts were failing, so I am just standing here waiting patiently reminding you that we need you."

I thought that it was pretty cute that she came with the sweet tactic. More than cute, it caught my attention and we turned on the movie.

Zip forward two days. Walking through hew kitchen I hear this bellowing noise in the corner. A son, hands stretched up the cabinet, in a fake cry, calling out for a piece of candy that's in a basket up high. I don't think he learned from the subliminal approach. After a short applause from me for the dramatics, I told him no.

What do our kids have to do to get our attention?
Should it be as hard for them as it is?

Bryan

2 comments:

Andy Rayner said...

Hi Brian

Nice to hear form you today on the blog.
I enjoyed your post today as well.
How true it is that the least important grabs our attention the most. We spend so much time with what is "good", and marginalize what is "best." A stewardship of priorities, I suppose, is in order as well?

Anonymous said...

Andy,
You are right about what grabs our attention sometimes is the least important. I suppose that a focused family gets better at weeding out the things of lesser importance.