Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it’s all I got
We’re one
But we’re not the same
Well we
Hurt each other
Then we do it again“One” – U2
Okay, so Wikipedia says this song was inspired by a letter that Bono wrote to the Dalai Lama. Whatever. He was really writing about parenthood and asking the most simple things from your child.
Okay, so I’m asking the seemingly impossible. “Please”. I’ve been trying to get her to say “Please.” I’m having second thoughts, though. Not because it’s a hopeless endeavour, but because the return-on-investment isn’t there, or, at least, is less immediately apparent.
The key for me is to reduce the incessant whining. When I prompt her to say “Please,” she stops, smiles and then softly whispers it. I’m not making any progress in getting her to say it unprompted, but for that moment, the whining subsides.
But it seems like I should be working towards many other more substantial and worthwhile developmental goals. Patience. Perseverance. Diligence. Kindness. Generosity. Humility. Integrity. Irony. The list is so long, I don’t know where to start. So I start with the simple stuff.
Please.
