Gum and Parenting

I've witnessed my share of bad parenting over the years. More than once, I've turned a corner in a store to witness a parent and child interaction that makes me cringe. And I have my share of bad parenting moments - moments I wish I could take back, or moments I wish I could do over, not because I necessarily did anything bad, but because I was distracted or "too busy" to really pay attention.

Tonight, though, I happily witnessed the polar opposite. Walking down the hall at church with my friend, Jeremy Scowden, I was in earshot when his 3 year old daughter, Eisley, greeted him with the her big news, "I've got gum for you, Daddy!!"

He, just as excitedly, said, "You do!?! Cool! Thank you!
Kim, Jeremy's wife, was there to cheer the whole scene on too. We had one big gum party right then.

Jeremy and Kim were Exhibit A for excellent parenting. Years ago, Lou and I heard some parenting advice that resonated with us. Match your child's excitement. As soon I saw Kim and Jeremy act as they did, and after we finished rejoicing over Eisley's gum, I asked them if they knew what they just did had an official  title. They didn't, so I proceeded to verbally blog about what Lou and I had heard. Kim was very gracious and let me ramble on, all the while we were enjoying Eisley's completely unselfconscious romping around her parents' legs in complete trust and happiness.

This whole scene brought me joy. And I wanted to share my joy with you. Because joy, just like gum, is meant to be shared.

The sweet Scowden Family