His name is Flop and he is the companion of a young bunny named Bing. This TV show revolves around everyday occurrences such as going to the park or baking cakes and is absolutely adored by my two year old. [Actually my three month old finds it pretty riveting too, but I suspect that's more for the colours than the plot...]
Anyway I find watching each episode both relaxing and troubling in equal measure. It's relaxing because, for five minutes, I can switch off and outsource the job of parenting to the TV. [Less of the judgment people, I've yet to meet a parent who doesn't do this...]
The troubling element comes from watching Flop at work. This is a man/sack thing who never, ever looses his temper. It doesn't matter what Bing does, Flop remains calmly in control.
So far I've seen Bing break several of his favourite toys, cause the bath to overflow, have a toilet-related accident and offend at least two of his friends. And yet throughout it all Flop keeps his calm. He never raises his voice. Never snaps. Never even grumbles. Instead he offers wisdom such as , 'Don't worry Bing, it's no big thing...' [To which my sarcastic inner dialogue responses, 'Really Flop? REALLY? Is causing a bath to overflow really no big thing? Clearly you don't pay the bills...']
Suffice to say that I've come to the only logical conclusion: the show's creator obviously intended Flop to be a Christ-like figure. Either that or an alien. He is clearly not human.
I'm lucky if I make it to breakfast without loosing my temper. And a whole day? Nope. And I defy anyone with a toddler to say otherwise.
A large part of the problem comes because I so often feel unappreciated. I suspect that I'd be a lot less inclined to snap if I had people - including my children - saying to me on a regular basis, 'Thank you for all you do as a stay at home mother. You are amazing.' And a salary probably wouldn't hurt either.
But then two days ago I read this:
'If I'm willing to do something in church as 'my ministry', but won't do it at home, then I have to question myself and find out what is making the difference. Many times at church someone is usually kind enough to tell me how wonderful I was for what I did... How much quicker are we to do something if there's a little something in it for us - a little recognition, a little bit of money, a little bit of a promotion... If you want to measure your love life [and by this she means how good you are at showing love to others] watch and see how you treat people that can do you no earthly good [i.e. who can't say thank you].'
*sigh*
My job is to show as much love as I possibly can to my children. And often that love will be expressed through serving them, dealing with the mess they create and yes, sometimes saying (like Flop), 'Don't worry darling, it's no big thing'. Even when it really, really is.
Thank you for this (from a mother who just lost her temper at 7.30 am)!
ReplyDeleteI will have to investigate Bing and Flop for my toddler!
We love Bing! Jeremy in particular adores watching it. The thing that 'gives me thinks' is that all the adult figures like Flop are about half the size of all the toddler figures like Bing. This is, of course, because in a toddler drawing of a family, the toddler tends to come out as biggest because they're most important. The rest of us are just bit players in their lives. But there's also something very humbling (and Christ like!) about Flop being such a tiny servant.
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