The "post-it" parent....someday

We all strive to create bonds with our children. Whether its by spending good quality time with them, sharing stories, bringing out the characteristics we have in common, or simply giving them a good solid foundation of family. We create these bonds to give our children a sense of security and love in a parent/child relationship, a relationship that hopefully represents a place of permanent belonging for them long after they leave childhood. The funny thing about bonding...it doesn't just bond our kids to us, but us to our kids. That's what kind of scares me a little. Someday my children will not be children anymore. They will reach a point where they will be trying to loosen that bond a little just as much as I will be trying to tighten it. So that's where my theory of the "post-it" bond comes in. Those little sticky notes with an odd chemical make-up that allows it to bond with whatever you want it to stick to, but when the time is right it peels aways gently, without ripping either the paper or the object to which it was attached. So, I guess that may be the kind of bond I try to create with my children. I want them to be independent and confident, even though the thought of them being even a day older sends a wave of panic through me. Of course this only applies to the outer layer of the bonds I have to my children. There is a bond that is the superglue to our relationship that will never let go, no matter how far apart we are or how old they are. That's the tricky part, knowing that the superglue is always there should make removing the post-it a little easier. But that day is, for now, safely tucked away in the distant future!

Treasure for the day: My 3 year old daughter and I love to go to the movies. Our local cinema has the free movie summer program where we can go to a special movie at 10am for free. This morning it was Madagascar! She loves getting her own popcorn and lemonade, carrying her booster chair to her seat and watching in awe at the giant characters in front of her. What I love is hearing her laugh, watching her face, the way she makes a big deal of sharing her popcorn with me by putting pieces in my mouth throughout the movie and finally her consistent gratitude as we walk out "Thanks for taking me to the movie mom, I love Madagascar." She does that everytime. Sure its a cheap date, but hopefully it will always remain one of our "post-it" activities!