To small children, we parents can seem pretty all-powerful. Even to older children, if we’ve done our job right of setting an example and providing a consistent and kind authority figure for our kids, they will likely think we have far more power and control over the world than we do. I think it helps to periodically remind them that we really DON’T have that much power and let them know what we parents can and cannot control.
I never saw my parents as invincible, but I know that my children have a tendency to assume that I have more control and power over the happenings of the world than I do. While there will always be a little bit of precariousness due to our single parent family status, most of the time, my kids figure that if there is a problem at school, with an activity or another person that they can’t handle—mom can. As we all know, mom might be able to handle and influence a great deal, but she is not all-powerful.
It can be mighty tempting to let our kids think we are all-powerful when they are little. Not only is it a stroke to our egos, but maybe in the back of our heads, we know that they will probably not always feel that way and we want to cling to those feelings of worthiness while we can. But, I think we do our kids a disservice if we don’t let them see some of our faults and our humanity. There are some problems that mom and dad will not be able to fix and some realities in life that we really do have no power over—the sooner our children realize that, while still having confidence in our ability to take care of the things we can—I think they develop a better sense of how we all fit into the world at large. Not to mention, we parents don’t have to endure that long crashing fall off the pedestal when our children are older.
Also: No Room for Self-Pity
Healthy Involvement Vs. Micromanaging