The Day MiniM and I fell out

The Cause of our fight

It was a sad day. It was meant to be a good day, but it was a bad day.

Let me explain.

We have been looking for a new bike for MiniM. She has grown out of her old bike and as our Summer holiday this year is going to involve lots of cycling, we have been wanting to upgrade her bike.

On my days off, MiniM and I had trailed round the bike shops, looking at bikes, trying bikes, not liking them (wrong colour), (that’s a BOYS bike).

Eventually we called in to a little independent bike shop in Halstead, and the owner was very good with MiniM. She got measured up, tried a couple of bikes and then she saw the Melody Probike.

It looked a bit big, but she was able to sit on it, and the owner told me he could lower the saddle for her. She would get several years wear out of it, rather than the 6 months like her last bike.

How exciting! She loved it, very excited, so we bought it.

The next morning, MiniM and I rushed to the bike shop. It was my intention to get the bike home, and get out for a quick test ride on it, before I had to go to work.

As soon as we had got it home, and posed for MrsM, that was it. MiniM wanted nothing more to do with it. Didn’t want to ride it. Grrrrrrr!!

That was what MiniM and I fell out about. I told her I was disappointed in her because she wouldn’t even try her new bike.

I went to work all cross and irritated. MiniM stayed at home with MrsM all cross and tearful. And we both had a crap day. We don’t often fall out and this was stupid.

My version:- I was disappointed in her reaction and I didn’t want her to become one of these brats that doesn’t appreciate anything. I was concerned that she would drift through her life expecting everything for nothing, and nothing would have any value. She would lose friends and find it difficult to form relationships because she was so flighty. She would end up dreadfully lonely and unhappy.

MiniM’s version:- Oh look! Horrible History is on TV. I want to watch that. Why is Daddy cross?

Later that afternoon I rang home and spoke and we made up. I feel much better that we

Life is easy when you're 6

have. But it got me thinking that children really do live in the “here and now”. MiniM has no concept of why I was worrying for her future that day. Or when MrsM and I tell her about how she will have to get a job when she gets older, she has no concept of it. Her only terms of reference are, I need something  - Mummy or Daddy buy it.

I have been watching other children as they are with their parents and it’s not just MiniM. All kids of her age have the same very simplistic outlook on life.

They don’t get bogged down with details like mortgage payments, pensions, austerity measures, blah blah. Kids live life for today, almost to the point where they cock a snoot at all that adult grown-up stuff.

So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m taking a leaf out of MiniM’s book and living life for today, (well with a weather eye on the grown-up stuff).

Off to ride my bike now.