This week presented a timely reminder to myself to always practise what you preach to your kids.
For how many times have we asked our kids to do something which we were reticent to do ourselves?
On the flipside, if we have to don cheesy corporate tees, so do our kids
Insisting that your kids eat their greens when you are vehemently carnivorous in eating.
Chastising your kids to quickly go to sleep while you lay beside them devouring updates on your Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Lamenting that your kids don’t read enough whilst you lounge on your sofa watching the latest Korean drama.
In one point in time or another, we as parents are bound to have exemplified some form of double standards. Now the key is to be conscious of it and prevent any reoccurrence.
Easier said than done, I know.
My lesson came earlier this week when Summer (and then subsequently Zavier) fell to a bout of fever. As the fever spiked up towards the night, I asked Summer to stick a fever patch on her forehead throughout the night when she slept.
Which she dramatically said no to the point of wanting to cry.
Coming from a kid who loves cold drinks and to shower under cold water, this rejection came as quite a big surprise to me.
‘I don’t want because it is very uncomfortable. I don’t like it!’
How bad can it be, I thought. One would have assumed that a cooling gel patch on a hot night (ok it was hot outside but not in our air-conditioned bedroom…) would serve as a treat?
So after having a short verbal to-and-fro which I was gradually losing, I reluctantly offered to put on one myself to prove that it was ok.
And boy was I wrong about it being comfortable.
It was cold in an uncomfortable way, it restricts your facial movement, and it’s ugly. All at the same time.
That's us still trying to look good
Now I will be more conscious about asking my kids to don the patch through the night. But hey at least Summer was willing to sleep through the night with it. As was I. Albeit mine was unwillingly.
So parents, think from your kids’ perspective once in a while. You are not always right…