So, I’ve been pretty good with doing my mirror affirmations lately. On Saturday morning, I decided to ask the girls if they wanted to join me. Simple request, right? Great way to bond with my girls, right? Excellent tool to provide them as a mother who cares about raising self-confident, fulfilled little kids, right?
Me: Hey girls. Mommy’s going to do some mirror affirmations. Want to do them with me?
Zaffron: What are they?
Me: They are an exercise that you do to fill your heart with love. You look into a mirror for three minutes and tell yourself that you love yourself.
Zaffron looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. I’m inexplicably compelled to keep talking.
Me: No, it’s good stuff. Really! You’ll feel great afterwards.
Mgazi looks at her sister and then back at me, a matching expression now on her face.
Mgazi: I think Zaffron thinks that what you are saying is boring.
Me: It’s not boring! (I say this strongly). It’s good for you. (I say this kinda weakly, baffled at the unexpected turn the conversation has taken.)
Mgazi: I think Zaffron is right that it sounds boring. But I’ll do it with you. If you give me something.
Me: What? Okay, first of all, Zaffy hasn’t said ANYTHING is boring. She hasn’t said anything at all! Second of all, I am not giving you money to do mirror affirmations, Mgazi.
Mgazi: I don’t want money. I want cereal.
Zaffron: I am kinda hungry, Mommy.
Me: I am not going to bribe my children so that they’ll love themselves. Forget it.
I leave the room defeated by yet another one of my hair-brained parenting ideas. Mgazi calls out after me.
Mgazi: Are you saying “no” to the cereal?
What’s a kid gotta do to get some cereal in this outfit?
Whaddya mean? They gotta stand in front of the mirror and love themselves, out loud, in front of their mom. What’s the problem?
*smile*