Imperfections

I just saw this video.   I am really fired up about this.  So bear with me....

I think this is just another example of indulging our children. Throwing lavish birthday parties, spending hundreds for Christmas, never saying "no."  Our job as parents is to teach our children.  We teach them to be kind, to love themselves, and how to handle disappointments.  We teach these things to our children so they are prepared for the thoughtlessness of others.  We teach them manners, we teach them to be good sports and gracious winners.  We teach them to stand up for themselves and for those who are weaker than they.  We teach them to have fun and be respective at the same time.

I have ears that stick out, and I was always teased, always.  I had a P.E. teacher call me Mousy-Mary, classmates that called me alien, and even all through high school I was called Fievel.  That is one cute mouse!  And guess what?  It helped me to know my real friends.  Did it hurt my feelings? ...sometimes.  Hurt feelings are a part of life, from childhood to adulthood.  It's unavoidable...you are doing a disservice to your children if you don't teach them how to respond and recover from hurt feelings.  I am certain if my ears didn't stick out, they would have found something else to tease me about.  How did teasing become bullying? Was I bullied?  I never thought so, but today it would be called bullying.  I am sure that I teased other kids too, we all do.  Was I a bully?  I always thought a bully was the kid who made you give up your lunch money, or who threatened to (or actaully did) hit you.

I don't like this so-called "War on Bullies" (as it relates to teasing, physical abuse by adults or peers is never okay).  I may be completely off my rocker. Learn to say "no", teach your children, and most importantly set a good example.  You can't fix everything for your child, you can't protect them from everything, and some lessons need to be learned.  I hope that I am teaching these things to my boys.  I hope that I am teaching them to be good men, and that having a sense of humor about yourself will save you a lot of grief.  I love my witch nose, my freakishly small hands, my Neaderthal feet, my beauty-marks, and my sticky-out ears.   

Everyone has something that makes them different.  Sometimes it's a big thing, sometimes it is small things.  I am reminded of this scene from Finding Nemo:

I love this scene, because even "obnoxious" is an imperfection. No one is perfect, and my ears and nose come with some distinct advantages.  Some green paint and a pointy hat ; I am set for Halloween.  And no one does a chimp impression quite like mine.