It's Hard to Learn When You're Old!

I am feeling kind of old these days! I know that is silly since I am only 24 :) Ha Ha! Last weekend both Annie and Maren were sick and had both Mike and I up ALL NIGHT! We pulled some all nighters in college to be sure, but I could sleep in the next day or grab a quick nap and be fine. Now it has taken me 7 days to recover!

I haven't had to learn anything brand new in a while. I am now usually the one teaching new things to others which I am finding to be very frustrating! Case in point, the worst part of parenting I have encountered so far: Potty Training! I feel like I should run away screaming like they would do in a Freddy Kruger movie (now you KNOW I am over the age of 24)! But I'm working with Annie and she is doing way better than any of our others kids did. I think part of the reason is because I don't freak out when there is a mess anymore. I've adopted the "Bissel" slogan, "Life's Messy, Clean It Up!"

There are lots of other things I've been teaching my kids: how to write their name, how to tie their shoes (then I wised up and bought velcro!), how to load the dishwasher, how to be a good friend, how to google :), and how to bake. It seems obvious to me how you write an "A"! You just do it. But it isn't that easy when you don't know how to write. I'm glad I never became a professional teacher.

So recently, I became a student and learned a bigger lesson than I bargained for. I've always wanted to learn to French braid! Especially now that I have four girls, it seemed like a necessary skill. Ok, aim small right? So I asked a hair dresser friend how to do it and she said, It's So easy you just keep grabbing more hair and you go down the head and voila! So I tried on my girls and I tried on their Barbie heads, but I could not do it! I kept trying and remembered something the hair dresser said, then I got it! It would have been easier if someone had watched me and pointed out my mistakes. It seems back in grade school when I learned to braid, I learned wrong. I was going under not over. I practiced a lot. I remember practicing on the fringes on my parents beautiful brown and gold 70's afghan! Who knew what problems it would cause me in my quest to French Braid? I am so proud and now I force everyone in our house (including Mike's mullet) to have their hair French braided every day!

But probably a little more importantly, I learned to have patience as a teacher to my kids. All this stuff, though it seems simple and straightforward to me, is foreign to them. And they need me to take the time to show them what to do and keep correcting them until they figure it out. It's just so hard for me to be patient!

I guess it's good to have to be a student again sometimes and learn how hard it can be to learn!
If you've got a mullet or a afghan that needs braiding give me a call!