CLIMBING JACOB'S LADDER

Once we become parents, it becomes increasingly apparent that children learn things about life a lot earlier than the adult-world lets on. I’m talking Corporate Ladder stuff here. Yes, you heard me. Children learn from a very early age all about levels of authority.

Mum, he won’t come in when I tell him – “Then tell him, ‘Mum said’. The child learns Mum’s word carries an authority above his own.

Being the youngest of 7, Master 4 was quick to come into that knowledge. Usually a very obedient child, Master 4 had always obeyed me, until one day, I asked him to do something he really did not want to do. His response was “But Dad said….” (yet, I knew full well that Dad hadn’t said, and I told him as much). Point taken, he had learned that Daddy, as head of our home and family, has the last say on almost everything, the important stuff anyway.

As it goes, Master 4 had been fighting his daytime nap for sometime now. “I don’t want to go to sleep, it’s not nighttime yet”. (For the record…if no nap then we have a very upset, frustrated and cranky little man). It so happened not so long ago, Master 4 had been summoned by his father to take a nap. Amidst much protest, his father always won out and I would find him 'out like a light' a few minutes later sleeping peacefully. This occurred a few times, but one day, after being summoned, Master 4, was determined yet again not to take a nap. You could tell he was in deep thought and his mind was processing and churning. If Dad’s authority is higher than Mum’s then whose would be higher than Dad’s? He finally retorted: “But GOD said….we do not sleep in the daytime”.

Now who could beat that?

My husband’s response, “But God also says…. children must obey their parents, I’m your father, you are my son, now SLEEP” Less than a minute later, our little prophet was fast asleep.

Copyright 2007. Rebecca Laklem.