Parents do a lot of things for their children. So many times we make choices and/or decisions for the benefit of our kids. The most important thing to remember when we are making those choices is that children watch and learn, whether we want them to learn it or not. This is what makes the difference between being seen as a superhero or a mere mortal.
When I was small, I was sure that my parents were superheroes. For one thing, my dad was a volunteer firefighter. Most of the time we did not go with him when Dad was going to a fire or training. But there was a time when we were on the way to church and we passed a truck from Dad's fire station on their way to a fire. So we went to the fire instead of church, and the kids sat in the car at a safe distance while Dad joined his crew. We also got to witness him in action on a training exercise when his crew was safely removing an old farmhouse that was condemned. Other proof of his powers showed in swimming lessons, playing with us and giving us all a myriad of great memories. My favorite of his powers was the ability to take a bad situation and make it better - like when I got a bad grade even though I'd been working hard at school. He didn't yell or ground me, he took me out for a scoop of ice cream. While we were out, he talked to me about how hard times can happen and I was allowed to struggle, but I was not allowed to goof off or give up. Funny how that lesson has come to be so important over the years.
My mom had superpowers too. She could take the simplest ingredients and turn them into a gourmet dinner. She could make the most boring assignment more interesting and was the guardian of knowledge. Ok, she was a teacher and a school librarian, but that's how I saw her. Mom was one of a new generation of librarians, known as media specialists. Above and beyond the curation of books was the management of technology, recording of educational programs for teachers, and storytimes for the younger grades that came complete with costumes at Halloween and Mardi Gras. She could catch us getting into trouble when we were sure that she didn't see. When I was a new wife and later a new mother, she passed some of those powers down to me. This is why, when my son was small, the eye doctor examined "the eyes in the back of my head" as part of my regular checkup. One of the many gifts she passed to me was my love of great books and reading - a definite superpower for an author/illustrator to have. She still has superpowers, but now she uses them on grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
As children, it's wonderful to believe in magic and superheroes. Hopefully, we say and do things that make our kids believe we are superhero parents. I am blessed to say that I had two wonderful examples to follow.
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