Potential

Something about myself is I am a people watcher at times. I love to observe people and try to understand where they are coming from. Some of life's experiences has helped me understand things from a perspective I may not have looked at before. I am not claiming to know everything, and I am not always correct, and I have yet a lot to learn.

My daughter has been in swim lessons the past two weeks. She has come quite a ways, I am proud of her accomplishments. She is in a class where one of the parents need to be accompanying her in the pool. I have been the lucky one to see her progress.

There is another child in the class whose parent is always yelling at him and the other kids who join them. The parent also has a foul mouth. Everyone has a right or reason for their own behavior. I try not to judge, for it could be he way this person was raised, it could be a factor of many things.

Many times when I see a parent like this I wonder how the children are treated behind closed doors. I know this parent cares for the child, otherwise the child would not be in swimming lessons. But I wonder if this parent knows how other parents perceive the out word appearance that is being presented.

People who don't use foul language most times have a higher education and/or opinion of themselves. People who take the time to listen usually don't have to yell, because the same courtesy is returned towards them. When they aren't yelling all of the time, the children will know more when a situation is more serious.

Now, I know this isn't always the case, my three year old is constantly testing if I am paying attention. I myself have resorted to yelling more than once. it seems when this is the case it becomes a power of the wills rather than the positive out come it could be otherwise. When I take the time to listen or explain 'why', the out come is more often than not in my favor. Then I have a child who is more willing to listen rather than one who has already tuned me out.

I have been observing this parent and sharing some thoughts with my 17 year old. Feeling like this parent has so much more potential for herself and children than is being recognized. When I expressed this, I commented how Heavenly Father must look down on us many times and think we have more potential than we are showing. My son said "the only difference is he knows it."