Why am I doing this?

“Let no one think that flexibility and a predisposition to compromise is a sign of weakness or a sell-out.”

Paul Kagam

Have you ever planned to go to an event that is specifically geared toward your child, only to discover that your child has no interest in going?

I bought our ‘Bobs and Lolo’ tickets in June.  I think their music is great, their look is fresh and their content is current.  I play their cd for my daughters all the time.  I was amazed that they were coming to our little neighbourhood and started prepping Pip for the big concert a few weeks ago.

The big day arrived and Pip didn’t want to go.  She said she would rather watch ‘The Wizard of Oz.’

“But Sweetie, you can do both!  We can go and see the concert, then you can come home and watch ‘The Wizard.”

Pip started crying.  She was sick, she was tired and she was curled up on her little couch in the living room.  “I don’t want to go Mama.”

“Pip, I bought these tickets a long time ago, and Bobs and Lolo are only going to be here for ONE DAY!!!  Right now is our only chance to see them!”  The concert was starting in twenty minutes.

I told Pip she had to stop crying so that we could talk things through.  She finally calmed down enough to say that she didn’t like Bobs and Lolo, (she didn’t mean it ladies,) and she didn’t feel like going to a concert.  She wanted to stay home.  She wanted to lie down.  She was tired and she wanted to see ‘The Wizard of Oz.’  She started crying again.

Big Daddy-O was motioning for me to just take Pip, tears and all, out of the house to the concert.  It was then a crucial question popped into my head, ‘Why am I doing this?’  This is supposed to be a great experience for my little girl.  Am I really going to drag her out of the house crying?  No.

I told Pip that she didn’t have to go.  I told her that I was disappointed, because I thought she’d have a really good time, but we weren’t going to force her to go.  I also said that she wasn’t getting her way because she cried, we were listening to her because she was able to calm down and talk to us about her feelings.  (I could only hope that she’d believe me.)

My sister called me on her cel phone from the concert to see where we were and I filled her in.  “Tell Pip how much her cousin wants to see her,” she said.  So, I walked over to Pip,

“Your cousin is on the phone Pip.  She’s at Bobs and Lolo and she really misses you.”

“Mama,” said Pip, “I’ve changed my mind.”

And we were off.  We were twenty minutes late for the show, but it was still great.  Pip even got up on stage at the end of the show when the dynamic duo invited kids to help them sing.

Afterwards, we went to the face-painting tent and Pip asked for a blue puppy to be painted on her forearm.  She adored her new little buddy.

Back in the car I asked Pip if she was glad that she saw Bobs and Lolo.  “I sure am Mama.   I made a good decision.”

With a little prompting.