This week my 8 year old son made me cry…and we’re talking big tears. But the tears I let roll down my super tired/no make-up in sight face – as a newly appointed Principal/Teacher/Soccer Coach/Work From Home/Viral Quarantine Meme Waiting To Happen every time my son busts into my home office during the middle of a Zoom business meeting, to ask for a snack in his “Incredible Hulk Voice” was as beautiful as the water flowing down from the Niagara Falls.
THE BOOK DEVOUR HOUR!
During this quarantine I’ve been DEVOURING podcasts, sermons and most enjoyably…BOOKS. One book I read was the critically acclaimed children’s book “Can Mommy Go To Work” by Christine Michel Carter aka “The Mom of Moms Influencer” – who was so gracious enough to share her work/life balance Mommy gems as my special guest on my IG Live “Cooking & Convos.“.
My son J needed to do a book report for school, so I read the book before giving it to him – mostly to make sure he didn’t write 4 pages of a bunch of nothing I couldn’t call out if needed #UKnowYoKidsWillTryU.
After giving it to J to read, I noticed something I rarely ever see. J was COMPLETELY IMMERSED IN A BOOK. I saw him snuggled up in the loveseat DEVOURING this book like his Mom so often does in that same “Lovestyle” seat. Guess what else J did. HE READ IT AGAIN FOR A SECOND TIME! When I saw that, I said “Hold Up, Wait One…….MINUTE!” *Trick Daddy Vox*
What’s got my son so interested in this book? I immediately decided to read J’s book report to find out what was captivating him. What I read brought me to tears…and I’m talking Thuggish Ruggish Bone Thugs N Harmony Tears…ala Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone and Krayzie Bone!
CAN MOMMY PLEASE PLEASE GO TO WORK?
In “Can Mommy Go To Work?” Christine shares a story about how she was in a rush one morning, right after receiving a big job promotion, for her first day to make a big impression as the new boss. Normally her kids are chill, but this day they were plotting and being extra. Christine was in super busy Mom mode, making her caffeine fix of coffee, while her son constantly tried to help make it, all to her rising frustration as she was rushing for work. Christine’s daughter told her they had a surprise gift to give her. Christine told her kids in so many words “Thank you, but Mommy Has To Go To Work! Her daughter then presented her with the surprise gift, a necklace. Her daughter said, “Mommy now you look great for your new job position.”
Then her son said he had something special for Mommy too…and added a special kind of sugar to her coffee. In a rush to not be late on her first day as the boss, Christine told her kids “This is all wonderful…but Can Mommy Please Please Go To Work?
Christine then sipped on the coffee, and bitterly discovered the special sugar her son added – was all a part of his little prank. It was SALT!
Christine got pissed off. This slowed her down even more, and she began to get real snappy. But she noticed how heartbroken her son was crying, along with her daughter with tears in her eyes – and realized it was not their intent to make her mad. It was actually the complete opposite.
Still holding tears back, her daughter said “We’re sorry Mom! We’re so proud of you becoming the boss, we know how hard you work, and we know what it costs. We just wanted to give gifts to show how proud we are.” Wes just wanted to do a joke to make you happy too.”
PURE INTENTIONS
Children rarely have malicious intent. Her son’s purpose was just to make her laugh because he was a prankster. If he wanted to hurt her, it wouldn’t have been salt…it would’ve been something worst, like actual poison lol. In sharing this profound story, Christine helped us realize as parents and Supermoms, how sometimes kids just want your praise – and to say they’re proud of you and make your day!
Which brings us to my very own thug tears. J talked about this story in his book report, and compared it to the time he spilled coffee when trying to make it for me in the morning. I did get on him too. In reading that in his book report it hit me like WOW! He connected with the coffee story and the Mom snapping, because I too made the same mistake.
When J spilled the coffee, I tried not to yell, but I still asked in a snappy tone “What are you doing?” In my mind I was thinking “What if you burn or cut yourself.” But all he was trying to do was make me some coffee in the morning – because he knows how much I love it. I too did not think about how he was just trying to make me happy.
It made me read “Can Mommy Go To Work” all over again, to truly process the power in understanding your child’s “intention” – even when they make a mistake.
We don’t give kids enough credit for their comprehension of what’s going on. And in the cases where they don’t know or make a mistake, we have to explain what it is they need to know. What also made me so emotional about J’s book report is he tied in the Mommy working hard in “Can Mommy Go To Work,” to how hard I work. He’s been really curious about my work and cooking lately, asking questions like “Hey Mommy, you’re a chef right? Mommy do you need me to take a picture.” I love for my kids to see me hustle so they can build a hustler’s mentality and instill within themselves the value of hard work.
WORKING MOM MESSAGE
So, what is the message Christine and J taught me through the book “Can Mommy Go To Work?” I have to think and not over-react instantly, always consider what my child’s INTENT is, and…
I must stop saying “HEY MOMMY HAS TO WORK!”
Instead, I am now saying “HEY, GIVE ME 30 MINUTES” while being more intentional about capturing the special moments they’re trying to make, even when they make mistakes.
Which reminds me…I gotta go! I promised J we could plant a garden together, since Earth Day was last week. I told him we could be get our Farmer Joe on 30 minutes ago, when I started writing this blog. Time’s up!
Deuces!
For Christine Michel Carter’s beautiful kid’s book “Can Mommy Go To Work” you can check it right here: