Nikki turns 28 years old today!

Today is the perfect day to share a Mom-n-Nikki story from her childhood.

The picture above is Nikki back in 1996 when she was several days old. She was born with jaundice (which is why her skin color is a little wonky).

Becoming A Single Parent…

I became a single parent in 1998 – when Nikki was 2 years old.

My goal was to raise Nikki to know I loved her no matter what and to make her own choices – even if her choices differed from mine.

I wanted her to know I had her back and she could come to me with anything.

Not An Expert…

I was no expert at teaching a child — let alone doing it as a single parent.

This adventure would be a learn as I go experience.

The only thing in my favor was I had a clear goal in mind.

Nikki Was An Independent Learner…

In 1999, when Nikki was 3 years old, the house suddenly became quiet. A silence of this nature is an urgent warning to see what your toddler is up to!

I found Nikki in my room playing on my desktop computer. She had turned it on – all by herself – and was clicking away at the icons on the screen.

She most likely knew how to turn it on and click the mouse from watching me. This was proof that children don’t always listen to their elders but they never fail to imitate them.

Her inquisitiveness prompted me to buy her the Reader Rabbit educational games. At that time, the series only went to the 2nd grade level – which she quickly devoured!

I suppose that started the process of her learning with educational games via the computer.

Nikki vs Kindergarten…

In 2001, Nikki was 5 years old and attending Kindergarten.

Nikki wasn’t fond of school and pretended to be sick a lot. She confided this to me several years later but I already suspected it – because Mom’s know everything.

I know she didn’t like school but I also believe she was bored.

Nikki already knew much of what was being taught in Kindergarten because of the Reader Rabbit games.

Mom’s Know Everything – Or Not…

Nikki had done something that I found out about and needed to address. I don’t remember exactly what she’d done but it wasn’t major. I simply needed to talk to her about it.

Nikki asked how I knew what she had done.

I gave her the ole “Because Mom’s know everything!” routine.

Nikki calmly replied, “No they don’t”.

Using my more stern Mommy voice, I retaliated with hearty “Yes they do”.

There were several rounds of Nikki calmly expressing “No they don’t” followed by my increasingly less confident “Yes they do!”.

With each “Yes they do” I became more frustrated at the thought of losing this battle to a 5 year old.

Finally, Nikki broke the cycle and confidently tested her hypothesis. She gently asked “If Mom’s know everything, how far is the earth from the sun?”

Without warning, a deer in the headlights look involuntarily took over my facial expression.

This cute 5 year old girl diffused my frustration and dumbfounded me all in one calmly spoken sentence.

My mind was scrambled as I frantically searched for my next move.

With the snootiness of a toddler, I replied “I don’t know how far the earth is from the sun and neither do you!”.

Mom’s Make Mistakes Too…

Nikki insisted she knew how far the earth is from the sun.

With a tinge of arrogance, I asked her to prove it.

Without hesitation, she told me the sun is 93 million miles from the earth.

My first thought was she learned this in school. But… do they teach that stuff in Kindergarten??

When I asked where she got her information, Nikki pointed to our computer.

Being Put In My Place…

I’d been put in my place by my 5 year old child – the very child I was teaching to stand up for herself.

Nikki handled the situation without being snotty, rude or prideful.

I sure wish I had handled it as kindly as Nikki did.

Secretly Verifying Nikki’s Answer…

It was best to slither away before digging myself a deeper hole. So… I told Nikki I believed her answer of 93 million miles and we ended the conversation.

Once Nikki was busy doing other things I snuck on to the computer and secretly researched the topic.

I was proud to find out Nikki was right and a bit ashamed I secretly double checked her answer.

The Moral Of The Story…

When you raise your child to think for themselves don’t be surprised when they start doing it!

But beware! You will no longer be able to pull the wool over their eyes and they will certainly call you out when the opportunity arises.

We need to be willing to listen to and learn from our children. As we help our children grow they, in turn, offer us opportunities to grow.

I’m thankful Nikki puts kindness in the forefront as she stands up for herself. I’m also grateful she feels she can tell me anything — even if she tells me I’m wrong.

Space.com is a great resource for Mom’s or Dad’s who don’t know how far the earth is from the sun.

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