Please Me

I discovered something about my daughter earlier.

She was trying so hard to make me proud.

So we had a slight miscommunication about it. And I'm glad its out in the open. Maybe its partly my fault, maybe not. Who knows? 

I should be happy about it, yeah? Part of me, yes. But the other half, no. I don't need her to do something that she knows she doesn't have the heart to do just so she can make me proud. 

Being her mommy makes me proud already.

Here's the story behind it: 

She was chosen as the candidate of Bb. Kalikasan for Grade 6. She proudly announced it to me when she got home from school. Seeing her excitement and enthusiam made me go on a full stage-mother mode. I started contacting family, friends, "connections" to ask for their recyclables. Started browsing for gown designs which uses recycled materials, started planning for her talent, costumes et al. 

See, 100% stage-mom mode.

Since I was so busy preparing for her, I failed to see her lack of enthusiam. All along I thought that she just doesn't want to help and just simply lazy.

So Waldy asked her how she really felt and she confided to both of us that she accepted it because she thought its gonna make me proud of her.

My point in telling this?

We put so much expectations on our children that we neglect to see that deep inside they are drowning in shallow assumptions. That they need to be MORE in order to make their parents proud.

Different times calls for different approach.

To be honest, when she revealed that she doesn't want to join the pageant, she made me even proud and happier.

1. She's smart and confident. Because she knows what she wants and backing out of the pageant is not a sign of low self-esteem.

2. She has control of her own dreams and destiny. 

3. She made my load lighter. Now, I don't have to stress my self out too much. I can relax and focus on other matters.

Thank God for strong daughters!