Model, not so glamorous

We were standing a few feet from the front door, my husband and I, when Jack toddled past us with a set of keys in hand.   His pudgy little fingers grasped onto one in particular and as he arrived at the door, he reached with all of his might upward with the key.    As if it was old hat, he pushed the key right into the doorknob in the exact spot where a key would go.   He's only 13 months. 

Stunned, we stood there and laughed.  But in a rather uncomfortable way.  Questions began to tumble out, like, "Did you show him that?" and "Where exactly did he learn this?"  And there were no answers for either of us.  We simply have NO IDEA how he learned that keys go into doors.   We rarely even use the front door to enter the house.   So where did he learn this technique?

At my women's Bible Study later that evening, we talked about legacies that we are a part of...lives, behaviors and things of that nature that have been passed down from generations behind us.   And that led to the things we are handing down to our children.    Suddenly I wanted to burst on the inside! 

My Jack, a baby of only 13 months, has picked up on how to put a key into a doorknob...without the official training of my husband or myself.   He must have learned this simply by watching us.   If he already knows the details of such a small and insignificant task and understands it fully...then what else have I already given to him simply through example?    Will he snap at others the way I do, because he is modeling mommy?   Will he be a control freak, because I am?   Will he talk under his breath as I do when I am angry about something?   Will he be late to EVERYTHING, the way mommy is? 

I am aware that there are both good and bad that he will watch from me.   But my concerns rest soley on the legacy I am leaving my children.   And my overwhelming thought is, how do I model the things he truly needs to learn, instead of the things I hope he never learns.

(feeling thoughtful and humbled)

Comments

[Diana]

Oh boy can I relate to that. I see a lot of my "behaviors" in my children and that coupled with what we've been learning in the Beth Moore study have left me with an aweful lot to think about, consider and reevaluate.

[themommykelly]

You couldn't have said it better, Juicy. It is so difficult to remain attuned to the fact that little ears, little eyes and little hearts are ever present and absorbing.

This is one I need desparately to work on myself.

[Lalena]

I think this is every moms fear...

My little ones are starting out to face life on their own. One is moving away and I fear because I know what I've modeled.

All we can do is our best each day and trust God to take care of the rest.

[Tina]

whewww.. how well I hear ya. I felt that one! It's so easy just living how we do and saying it's all good, and then bam! one of the children say something and shoot if that wasn't one of my goodies that came out of that mouth. Hey, that's only the beginning. The eye rolling, the 'other stuff' we don't want to be copied. Thank God we are learning right along side while we are teaching. All I can say is, please God, give me grace and mercy. To me and for me.