As a two-year-old, my son Landon has just started becoming interested in TV shows. The ones he enjoys are based on the characters he’s found a connection with like Elmo, Daniel Tiger, and Mickey Mouse. His attention span used to only allow him to watch a few minutes, soaking up the greetings of his familiar friends before running off to play with this or do that. More recently, he sits for longer periods of time and can process the stories and lessons being shared with him, but sometimes he still struggles to make it through an episode before he wants to trade in the relatable sing-along songs with Daniel Tiger for the playfulness of Elmo and Mr. Noodle. Before I can turn the show from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood to Sesame Street, he’s already asking to hang out with Mickey and friends.
Landon is a very people-oriented child and loves to be in the company of others. He would rather hang out in the kitchen while mommy cooks to gab about the day or sing to music than play with his kingdom of toys in the other room. During playtime, he begins with Mr. Potato Head, which lasts five minutes before he grabs his number stacker. Once we’ve gotten the number stacker out of its box, he abandons it for Play-doh. Playtime at our house means his entire toy chest has been emptied out in a matter of minutes.
Having a husband who grew up with an ADD diagnosis, I’ve wondered what kind of challenges Landon might face both genetically and as a boy who might have a lot of natural energy. As a young toddler, he’s still growing, processing the excitement of an unexplored world, and learning how to focus as he waits for the development of his attention span. All of which could be reasonable explanations for his behavior, but lately I’ve been thinking about what it might look like as he gets older.
Today, it’s abandoning Elmo for Mickey and Mr. Potato Head for Play-doh, but tomorrow it could be quitting football for video games or leaving Susie for Sally. Regardless of whether it’s out of boredom or because something is too hard, I want to raise my child to understand the importance of integrity and commitment.
Growing up, the temptation to give up came naturally to me. Sports was something I prominently recall struggling with. I was on a soccer team, basketball team, volleyball team, and tennis team. There were moments it felt too challenging and I would tell my parents that I wasn’t going back to practice, but they wouldn’t let me quit. I was told I had to finish out the season. And I did, but I only ever did one season of each of those sports for a reason. It’s okay to make choices in life based on learning what you like and dislike or what works for you based on a particular season in your life, but there has to be effort and commitment invested before a reasonable decision can be made. I’m grateful that those values were consistently instilled in me throughout my upbringing. Nowadays, my beliefs on integrity and commitment are challenged daily: in my marriage, throughout my labor with Landon, or while training myself to run. I really want to take a break, but know I need to push through the finish line.
One of my favorite sayings is, “This too shall pass.” Whatever seems too hard now, won’t last forever and the outcome of a trial will be that much more rewarding when we’ve been able to say we were committed or had integrity throughout its duration.
These values are ones that I don’t think come naturally to any of us. We are responsible for instilling them within our character just as much as we want our children to possess them in theirs. Our kids are sponges who absorb our words and actions to practice as truth for how they live their life. It’s a reminder for me that I need to practice being the best version of myself so my son can model himself after a template that I am proud of.
