Parenting 101

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law made a post on her blog about her kids getting into the fridge and eating a whole pie while she was in the other room nursing the baby. Stacy's first inclination, as it would be for any mother, was to get mad. But every once in a while your kid (or kids) does something where in a blink of an eye you suddenly find yourself laughing and reaching for the camera instead of yelling.

Exhibit A:
We have had our fair share of time outs at our house. Emily repeatedly makes messes or gets into things she's not supposed to the second I turn my back or step into another room. She is after all two. Like when she ate a whole tube of her toothpaste and had me completely befuddled as to why she had such stinky gas one day. Or our personal favorite, when she found a 1/2 a Hershey's bar in the kitchen drawer and I discovered her and our fridge covered in chocolate. In some instances like these I have found myself pointing to the infamous corner by the stairs while at the same time having the thought scamper across my mind, "where's the camera?"

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Exhibit D:

And Exhibit E:

My father-in-law recently sent me a link to a story in the Deseret News. In it mom Erin Stewart wrote: "I found my daughter today standing on the tip of her toes on the handlebars of a bike so she could wash her hands in the sink. I did what any loving mom would do at this moment. I said, "Honey, stay right there while mommy gets a camera."

So whether it's a mess or a safety issue, why do we as parents sometimes turn to the camera first or burst out laughing? Maybe it's a defense mechanism. An attempt to make the best out of the situation. Maybe the scene before you reminds you a little too much of your own childhood. Maybe we just aren't fit to be parents. Maybe. But I'd like to think that at least something's sinking in when after such an incident I have found my daughter doing this:

So the next time I find Emily standing on a pile of pillows on our piano bench trying to reach the remote so she can watch Tigger and Pooh, I'm just going to go with Erin Stewart's reasoning: "Judge if you will, but it's a pretty hilarious picture."