Summer Bible School with My Son

 When a friend sent me a last minute invitation for a Vacation Bible School for Elix I grabbed the opportunity, although I know I would be really tired cuz after the Bible School activities I have to go to work. It would also mean that we need to get up earlier than usual, which both my son and I don't like doing. I don't like it either, when I have to go somewhere unplanned but I thought that, this VBS thing would be a great experience for my son. I grew up in church and I know that VBS is fun for kids. Plus, this can also be the opportunity for my son to start socializing and learn how to mingle with other kids. I told myself, "forget about being tired and forget about the lack of sleep. I sometimes stay up late for no reason anyway. What I'm about to do with my son is going to be great learning experience for him."

We were able to join on the second day of VBS hosted by Clarkfield Baptist Church. Elix was very shy at first and didn't want to join the other kids on their activities. He didn't want to talk to any of them or even to the teachers. He is like that. I think it is one of my mistakes as a  parent, because I always worry about him, I always kept him close by and we don't go out like most kids do. I forgot that my son is his own person and that he doesn't need me all the time. He needs space for himself, so that he can learn on his own and be independent. I locked him in our own world, so as a result it is the only world he knows and he gets trouble adjusting in public or meeting new people.

On our second day though (which is the 3rd day actually), I noticed a big difference in him. Since the teachers and the other kids were a bit familiar to him by now, slowly he started playing with them. He participated in every activities and made some friends. Seeing the happy face of Elix while playing and singing songs with the other kids made me forget that I was tired and that I'm sleepy. It was all worth it!

I enrolled Elix to this VBS to learn, but I never expected that I too would learn something. The 2 days at VBS taught me that other mothers, though they seem perfect and almost super-hero-like, are also like me; they get tired, they get frustrated and sometimes lose their patience. All the things that Elix does that made me feel inadequate and question my parenting are not so unique. I know so, based on my observations on the other mothers at the VBS. We are all going through the same life cycle of motherhood. Everything felt new to me, only because I am a first time mother, and first time mothers are always clueless with what they're doing because like I said it's their first time. I've learned that the experience of first time mothers with their first child is their training. We make some mistakes sometimes, that's what makes us human, but what matters is that we learn how to move on and be better moms.