my name is Mama

Warning --- this could easily be one of those trigger type of posts. 

see those two up there. 

my girls. 

My beautiful girls

Here is the trigger part 

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH

THEY ARE MY HEART

but 

I AM NOT THEIR BEST FRIEND.

and I do not think that parents need to be the best friend of their children.

we need to be PARENTS

Parents teach.

(doing it for them does not teach)

Parents discipline.

(discipline sometimes means a spanking)

Parents do not allow rudeness

(towards anyone)

Parents do not allow a feeling of entitlement

(nobody "OWES" you anything "just because")

Parents do allow consequences to play out

(you cannot pay them our of everything)

Parents give them unconditional love.

(yes even in the midst of the consequences that are happening) 

Parents let them go.

(the hardest thing to ever do)

Parents swell with pride when they make good choices.

(Mine have made some wonderful ones)

Parents celebrate victories

(had bunches of these too)

Parents cry over failures

(had some of them)

Parents hide those fears and watch carefully

(just in case)

Parents answer the phone

(and listen and celebrate and cry and and and)

Parents prepare for nightmares

(financial and otherwise)

(not being prepared will bite you)

Parents breathe thanksgivings when the nightmares don't occur.

(been there done that)

Parents show them God.

(not just tell them about Him)

Parents pray

(and pray and pray and pray)

Parents do NOT need to be best friends with the children

(they need those friends away from you) 

I have those two up there. 

Both adults.

We are slowly becoming friends. 

But mind you ---- I am not their best friend.

Not now.

Not ever. 

We may become really GOOD (even GREAT) friends.

and that would be a celebration thing.

Here's the truth.

I am Mama now

I will always be Mama.

I am proud that I am their Mama. 

I watch other parents and see them try to be best friends.

And in my mind - I always think - when is that child going to learn to wash her own clothes?