I'll Pray For You

My son (and my husband, cough, cough) can be a tad dramatic.  He (they) can overreact when things don't go their way.  He (they) tend to exaggerate!  As a matter of fact, I just explained the word "exaggerate" to Dylan this week.  "It's when you make something that is bad even worse than it really is, by what you say or how you act... like when Daddy said he would be back from work IN THE SPRING , or when you said your bum was going to hurt FOREVER(don't ask)".

For someone like myself, who usually hopes things will go my way, but is never that surprised when they don't, this personality trait can be a bit frustrating. (COUGH!)  When I'm at not at my best, I probably handle it with eye rolling and even yelling.  At my best, I try to handle it with humor.  Take this morning for example...

Dylan was upstairs getting dressed for school, while I cleaned up breakfast.  When I got upstairs and looked at my sweet 6 year old, I had to smile.  His buttons were all wrong, and his undershirt was on backwards.

Me:  "Hey, hon.  Let me help you with your shirt."

Dylan:  "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!  I BUTTONED MY SHIRT ALREADY!  IT'S GOOD!"

Me:  "Yes, you did good, but you missed the top hole, so we'll have to do it again".

Dylan:  (Fell on the floor, dramatically, as soon as I said "missed the top hole").  "OH, COME ON!!"

Me:  "Hey!  Get up!  It is not a big deal!  And, I hate to even tell you this, but your T-shirt in on backwards, too."

Dylan:  (Who now looks like he might cry over the complete inhumanity of not one mistake, but two!)  "AARRGGHH!"

Me:  "Dylan!  This really, really is not a big deal.  I promise you.  Do you want me to help?" (He nods).  (As I'm helping) "There are lots of bad things that can happen to a person.  Putting their shirt on backwards is not one of them.  Buttoning their shirt wrong is not one of them.  Do you think someone says, "You know, this morning I put my shirt on backwards!", and other people go "GASP!  OH MY GOSH!  YOU POOR THING! THAT'S TERRIBLE!  I'LL PRAY FOR YOU!"

Dylan:  (Laughing)  "No".

Me:  "Do you think if someone says, "You know, this morning I buttoned my shirt wrong!", that other people will go "WHAT?!  YOU'RE KIDDING ME?!  HOW AWFUL!  I'LL PRAY FOR YOU!"

Dylan:  (Really laughing hard now).  "No!... Mom!  Stop making me laugh! Stop being funny!"

Me: (Smiling) "I just can't help it.  Pray for me".

Dylan:  (Laughing as he goes down the hall, fully dressed and ready for school)  "Mom!"