my life with 3 Princesses

Quality time April 5, 2010

One of the things I enjoy most of all the tasks motherhood entails is initiating my daughters to different experiences. I try to follow them in their development and in their questions to lead them to start appreciating the things I love.  I might be sounding manipulative but in reality I’m not really….or so I try not to be.

Last Friday I took TP to the ceremony that marks Good Friday for the Roman Catholic church, the faith in which we’re trying to raise my children.  I’m not using the word ‘trying’ lightly here.  In this country it’s the norm to baptise babies in their first months of life (at least this is true for a very high percentage of the population).  This is a responsibility that my man and I don’t take lightly.  We don’t want our girls to follow the religious traditions (of which we have many and counting) for the traditions but because they actually believe in their meaning.  Consequently we are trying to instil in them an appreciation for nature and its beauty and an awareness of a greater being that loves us all unconditionally.  I was always against exposing the girls to the grimness of the crucifixion of Christ and tried hard to keep them from the viewing the myriad of statues and images we come across regularly in our daily life here.  But the assistants at the school they attend thought otherwise and one fine day (about 4 weeks ago) TP and TC came home telling me about what happened to Christ and about what the bad people did.  Both aren’t yet 5!  Knowing there was no way of undoing this, I acknowledged the story and reinforced whenever I could the  ‘Jesus our friend’ part.  I really don’t know what goes on in the head of children.  I had thought they would be disturbed by the brutality but they were not and I still don’t know why.  So come Good Friday, I took TP to a beautiful short ceremony.  She enjoyed the music and the atmosphere of calm in the tiny modern chapel I chose.  And for the first time in her life realised there are prayers adults know by heart and that she would like to learn them.

On a lighter note but similar issue, today I took TP to a story telling session at one of the most beautifully restored (in my inexpert opinion) locations in Malta – the Sacrestia Vault at the Valletta Waterfront.  One of the main reasons I prefer and actually love living on Malta (the larger island)  instead of on Gozo (where I was born) is that there are different events taking place that sometimes (though this is not the rule really) we are spoilt for choice.  Today we attended a story telling session – Ronnie the rocking horse.  A short but delightful event that TP enjoyed to the full.  Schumann’s music in this restored vault accompanying the magical story of a toy and a little girl is simply enchanting.  I don’t think I can be called manipulative when I seek to encourage my children to appreciate and enjoy the timeless beauty of classical music through events like this. 

I have to say I enjoyed both outings with The Princess who lives up to the nickname I gave her to the full.  She gets interested in things, wants to dress appropriately for where we are going, and asks a million questions before we get there and after we leave.  She is a great observer and misses nothing.  She is a joy to be with and I find myself looking forward to’our’ next quality time appointment.

Being a mother means also shouldering the responsiblity for passing on a value system to our children.  To do this, our own value system needs to be in more or less good shape. I hope mine is not seeming or is skewed.  I try hard to keep a level head and to understand the community we are living in.  Maybe the fact that I reflect on my choices helps.  Maybe I need confirmation that my efforts are in the right direction.  Maybe I’ll only understand if what I’m doing is right (or wrong) after it is too late to do anything about it.  Maybe this is why parenthood is said to be the most difficult job in the world.