We were sitting on the couch, flipping through the boys’ “Puff the Magic Dragon” picture book. I was singing along when Riley turned to me, held up his palm, and said, “Stop!” Fine. Point taken.
“I don’t like when you sing it either, Mama,” Miles chimes in. “Just read it.”
“What? You don’t like my singing voice?” I asked indignantly. I’m no Mariah Carey, but I can carry a tune.
“I DO like your voice, I just don’t like it singing that SONG,” Miles clarified. Humph. I wasn’t convinced. In fact, both kids have stopped me in the middle of lullabies and shushed me when I try to sing along with the “Little Einsteins” theme song. It’s enough to hurt a person’s feelings. Except that then I’m free to go read a magazine, so I’m not complaining.
There are SO many things I find myself doing now that I’m a mom of 2 that I never would have dreamed I’d do. Especially in public.
When I first had a baby, I was so self-conscious about every little thing. God forbid someone overhear me in the grocery store talking babytalk to my infant, or later, disciplining my toddler. How EMBARRASSING to sing nursery rhymes in public at Stroller Strides! Or to ask my son if he needed to use the potty during church.
Yeah, well, I got over it. I don’t know if it was through sheer repetition, or that I got more confident, or that the horror of my son having an accident right there on the pew overshadowed any awkwardness about using the word “potty” in front of other adults.
Lesson #57 that my kids have taught me: how to care less what other people think of you. (Don’t expect a post on the other 56 lessons anytime soon; I picked that number arbitrarily.)
They’re good for something, these kids. Just not so much for boosting their mom’s ego. I’ll try not to take it personally next time they cut me off in the middle of singing the “ABC’s.”
READ O’ THE WEEK: Sticking with books that don’t require singing along, my 4yo loves the “Adventures of Riley” series. Partly because they’re about a redheaded boy with the same name as his brother, and partly because they’re about exotic adventures and animals all over the world.
1/17/11
"No Singing, Mama!"
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6 comments:
Been lurking on your blog for a while now. Love every post. This one rings true with me. I've definitely learned to get over my fear of doing things I swore I'd never do in public. Glad to hear I'm not alone =)
Hah! I get that, too. Except it's almost worse: "No, Mommy! Don't sing that. Only Daddy can sing that."
Um, thanks, kid.
my daughter constantly says "NO SINGING MOMMY STOP IT!" when I sing along to songs in the car.
Good, glad it's not just me. I knew I couldn't be THAT bad a singer. :)
Thanks for de-lurking, Joy!
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Don't feel bad. My kids don't let me sing...and I'm a singer. They'll listen to my CD. They'll let me sing at prayer time and when I'm on the pulpit. Otherwise, "no singing, Mama."
Nice...
I once pointed out to one of the kids, who was about 4 at the time, that there are a lot of people who would pay to hear me sing.
His response? "Well, I'm not one of them."
Yeah...kids. Good at keeping us humble.
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