7 minutes in heaven (aka a Subaru Forrester)
We have a rule. I’m not even sure it’s a rule, it’s a just is.
Rafi can use tech stuff on road trips to keep him entertained but can’t use them when we’re just driving around town.
I will be honest, if we had a tablet when he was two, I might have very well given it to him all the time but he is almost 9, and selfishly I want the talk time with him.
An almost 9 year old strapped in with no distractions is a gift of a talking partner.
Rafi said “Yay, you’re home! And Cincinnati sorta helped you?”
And once again talking to my child reminded me how to talk to others and how to talk to myself.
I didn’t want to rant about the negatives or sugarcoat the experience. I wanted to be both truthful and helpful. Why is that so easy to get when talking to him? I’m not sure but I’m so grateful for it.
So we talked about the importance of empathy and how awesome it feels when people get our feelings.
And we talked about how it is okay to not know something but how we are most helpful when we say “I don’t know AND I will help you find the answer.”
And it wasn’t a lecture. It was a discussion. And that was the best part. He got it and we talked about how if his dad doesn’t know how to help an animal he does his best to find someone who can help.
And this all happened in seven minutes.
And he went to bed and the darkness came and it was a struggle and I am back in Cleveland and I was trying to figure out my next move and in that moment my next move was treating myself with the gentleness, patience, love, and humor I treat my son with.
While also watching some Friends reruns for good measure.