I am horrendously, crazily, illogically and hysterically afraid of frogs. Really all amphibians or reptiles. I know some of you are nodding your heads saying, “Me too, girl!! They FREAK me out!!” While others are shaking their heads in disbelief saying, “Whoever heard of a KILLER FROG?!?!” I do not fear for my life when they are near… HOWEVER, my heart does start to beat a little faster, butterflies start swarming in my stomach and my palms may get a little sweaty. I blame it on the fact that amphibians are a little too “jumpy” for me. You never know when they are going to come flying through the air and land somewhere near you. It’s a little startling!! And reptiles, well, let’s just say I’m not a big fan of ANYTHING that can move faster than I can.
I blame this fear on my sweet, loving Mommy, who was ALSO afraid of these animals. She would jump and scream when they came near her, so my reaction was to also run like a maniac for safety!! As children, our natural reaction is to always follow Mommy’s lead. If Mommy acts petrified and is afraid of something, it’s probably not a good idea for you to be around it also. I’ve tried my best to control myself in front of my children. I want them to understand the difference in not particularly “liking” something and actually needing to be afraid of it. A busy highway, a stranger, or the swimming pool without Mommy equals DANGER!! Be AFRAID…. BE VERY AFRAID!! A frog, a cricket or a little green lizard doesn’t REALLY make that list. I want my kids to be FEARLESS unless necessary. I want them to try new things, be leaders, not followers, and form a path full of adventure!! I want to teach them, by my actions and words, the hazardous things in this world that may actually harm them, and also the fun and excitement of conquering those fears that are, in fact, nothing to be afraid of.
So, for those of you who nodded your head along with me in agreement to my fear of frogs, I had a life altering moment yesterday. A green rain frog hopped his way into my house. What did I do? I screamed and fear took over. At that moment, I saw the same fear in my daughter’s eyes. She was petrified of this little frog, and it wasn’t the frog that was making her scared. It was my reaction to little green Kermit that was fueling her fright. I did not want her to be afraid, because I knew, in my grown-up logic, that Mr. Frog was NOT going to hurt her…. Or me. I chased that little frog until I caught it. Then I held it in my hand for her to see and touch. Then, we released him back outside, where he belongs. She smiled at me and my Mommy Do-It-All cape went flying in the wind!! What a proud moment!! I am teaching her, and at the same time she is teaching me!! After our sweet mother and daughter moment, we THOROUGHLY washed our hands and went along with our day. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll catch a lizard!! ;-)
I blame this fear on my sweet, loving Mommy, who was ALSO afraid of these animals. She would jump and scream when they came near her, so my reaction was to also run like a maniac for safety!! As children, our natural reaction is to always follow Mommy’s lead. If Mommy acts petrified and is afraid of something, it’s probably not a good idea for you to be around it also. I’ve tried my best to control myself in front of my children. I want them to understand the difference in not particularly “liking” something and actually needing to be afraid of it. A busy highway, a stranger, or the swimming pool without Mommy equals DANGER!! Be AFRAID…. BE VERY AFRAID!! A frog, a cricket or a little green lizard doesn’t REALLY make that list. I want my kids to be FEARLESS unless necessary. I want them to try new things, be leaders, not followers, and form a path full of adventure!! I want to teach them, by my actions and words, the hazardous things in this world that may actually harm them, and also the fun and excitement of conquering those fears that are, in fact, nothing to be afraid of.
So, for those of you who nodded your head along with me in agreement to my fear of frogs, I had a life altering moment yesterday. A green rain frog hopped his way into my house. What did I do? I screamed and fear took over. At that moment, I saw the same fear in my daughter’s eyes. She was petrified of this little frog, and it wasn’t the frog that was making her scared. It was my reaction to little green Kermit that was fueling her fright. I did not want her to be afraid, because I knew, in my grown-up logic, that Mr. Frog was NOT going to hurt her…. Or me. I chased that little frog until I caught it. Then I held it in my hand for her to see and touch. Then, we released him back outside, where he belongs. She smiled at me and my Mommy Do-It-All cape went flying in the wind!! What a proud moment!! I am teaching her, and at the same time she is teaching me!! After our sweet mother and daughter moment, we THOROUGHLY washed our hands and went along with our day. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll catch a lizard!! ;-)
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