Do You Sometimes Not Like Me?

On the way to visit my mother-in-law this evening, my son asked me, “Do you like me?” This was a standard question he enjoys posing to me and I replied in my usual fashion, “Of course, I do. I like you and I love you!” His next question, however, somewhat jolted me.

With great seriousness, he looked me in the eye and asked, “Do you sometimes not like me?” I was flabbergasted to hear this question from an under 4-year-old! Very quickly, I assured him, smothering him with kisses at the same time, “Mummy likes you and Mummy loves you all the time!” Guessing this could be because I had disciplined him the day before, I added, “Mummy loves you a lot but I do not like you to misbehave …”

I was reminded of the parenting principle to never tell your child “I don’t like you” even when they have misbehaved badly, but rather, “I do not like what you are DOING.” While young children may seemingly forget what had happened easily, nevertheless, they are more aware of their surroundings than we give them credit for. Therefore, we should never take them for granted. They are God’s gift to us and our gift to them should be unconditional love and careful nurture so that they can grow up to be happy, secure and confident individuals because self-esteem is the foundation of life.