We interrupt the travelogue in process (which I meant to write more of on Friday, but a combination of jet-lag and Bryan being out of town got the better of me) to bring you news of Cooper's first talk in Primary.
His topic was to speak about the living prophet. The assignment had been stuck in my front door (which we rarely use), so I didn't even see it until Wednesday. It was Saturday night before we went over his talk. I prepped him that he would climb up the steps of the podium and talk into the microphone in front of all the kids. He seemed fine with the process. And though he didn't have the short talk memorized, he was willing to repeat what I said.
On Sunday morning I thought about Peter's first talk. I remembered how darling he was and how he'd memorized it and then how he was so completely terrified that no words came out of his mouth when the moment to deliver the address came.
It turns out it was good I had reviewed that particular memory.
When the time came, I joined Cooper up at the podium. I handed him the picture of the First Presidency (President Monson must have been a popular topic on Sunday because there were no individual pictures of him) and prompted him with his first line. He grabbed the mic in both hands, smiled at the Primary children, and took a deep breath.
And then he giggled.
And that's what he did for the rest of his tenure at the front. I finally altered each line from his talk so it would be in the form of a question. He nodded, smiling and giggling, at each question I asked. It just occurred to me that his Sunbeam teacher might not even know he can talk because he gets so shy sometimes. At the conclusion Cooper sat down, pleased that his first talk was over.
Now, when Peter refused to speak during his first talk, I was heartbroken. I knew he could do so much more than he was doing. But because I had been through that experience, my expectations with Cooper were different. Instead of being mad or sad, my reaction was more of a, "Oh well, hopefully next time he'll use words."
That either means I've become a more relaxed and reasonable mom, or it means I've become a lazy mom. I'm not sure which it is...
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3 comments:
I find myself doing the exact same thing (poor Logan always gets my wrath and Josh can do no wrong because I have such different expectations for them ... and don't even get me started on Abby). I always thought it was that I'm getting to be less uptight, but yeah, I *do* feel just a smidge guilty that I may not be challenging the younger ones quite enough. Motherhood really is a balancing act! :-P
Anyway, I'm not sure what my point is besides: you're not alone, sister! :-) (Also: I'm sure Cooper will do better next time!)
I love it when the Sunbeams are willing to stand at the podium. Some of them are too shy to do that. Cooper's talk sounds like a total success to me. Quick thinking on your part to turn his talk into questions he could answer with a giggle and a nod. There have been times when a child has come unprepared to give a talk, and I have asked if they would like to be interviewed. The questions are based on the theme for that week, and are completely impromptu. These have been delightful experiences.
You are a creative mom giving your child a successful experience. Good Job!
Definitely relaxed and reasonable! :)
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