Saw a funny video online with a dad ranting about how hard it was to get his child to even find, let alone put on his shoes so the family could get out the door. It took me back …
This one child of mine, who shall be nameless, was always taking off her shoes from the time she was very small. When she was about nine [read, ‘old enough to know better’], we had two interesting experiences. One day I got both girls into the car for a trip to the library. You remember nine year olds – they dress themselves, put on their own seat belts, and hopefully brush their own teeth. At the time we lived out in the country and it was about a 25 minute drive into town to get to the library. So, off we went, having an uneventful ride. We arrived at the library and piled out of the car in the parking lot. Whereupon I looked down at her feet and we both realized she had no shoes on. Library trip cancelled.
Do you think that disappointment was enough to help her remember such basic things as shoes? No, a few months later, we went off to the grocery store. Picture the same kids loaded into the minivan, and the same 20 minute drive to the grocery store (it was a little closer). And there we are in the parking lot with no shoes. This time I decided she had to wait in the car. There were a few essential groceries needed if we were going to eat.
Some moms would, I suppose, have at least let a child go into the library with no shoes (but not the grocery store – yuck!). Not this mom – too many things could go wrong in bare feet. Not the least of which was they would be filthy. Hopefully now that she is an adult, she has outgrown some of her forgetfulness; but thankfully she has not outgrown that carefree spirit.
