Why Family Matters

I have always wondered why my girls have a hard time telling other people how they feel. In fact, when it comes to other adults they often hide their feelings. For example, when Reagan was taking horse back riding lessons, the giant horse stepped on her little first grader foot and she didn't cry until 1/2 hour later when she got into the car. Why? She didn't want her teacher to see her cry. Rebecca is afraid to tell her teacher when she is feeling homesick or scared about her lunch time surroundings. Today it finally dawned on me. In the crucial years of their lives we didn't live near any family. My children haven't had other adults consistently present in their lives where they would learn to confide in someone apart from Ron and I. Even now we are closer but the relationships are surface at best and still the time we make is not often enough to foster a trust relationship. It makes me wish that our friends from Seattle were still so near. Our families have nearly the same dynamic, same core beliefs and the same interest in seeing each others children reach their full potential. How great it would be to have them be near so our children had other adults to tell stuff to as they grow in case they felt they couldn't tell us. I am, however, grateful that at this point my children share with me what's going on in their lives. I hope that as they grow listening to stories about recess and who threw up today, will lead to stories about more important things. For now I am grateful that our families get to be involved way more than they used to. I know that has great benefits of its own. This parent thing is so HARD!!!!