Age-Appropriate High Expectations of Our Kids

I was in the doctor's office some years ago when a grandmother sat down with her six year old grandson. With a nearly empty waiting room, it became a racetrack - gym - tumbling mat - playroom for the bored kid. Although he was a bit distracting, Granny's constant hissing angry threats to him as she thumbed through the three year old magazine was incredibly bothersome. "Stop that right now!" "You come over here and sit down!" "What did I tell you?" I felt like getting her magazine, rolling it up, and every time she threatened him, I'd wack her upside the head. Such strange thoughts go through my head when I observe lousy parenting....
Anticipating a young boy's boredom should be an easy task. We then could prepare by packing up some books and appropriate toys and assigning ourselves the position of entertainment director. It is the parent's duty (and privilege) to teach our children proper behaviors, but at the same time remembering their age. Still, parents should not dismiss their duties by saying things like, "he's only five, and five year olds shoot their mashed potatoes across the table". Rather, we should teach our kids important lessons, manners of course being one of them*, but know that teaching is an ongoing process, and for them to be good learners, we need to be good teachers.
[*and how to share, respect for women, and kid-like problem solving, just to name a few...]

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