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Zach, do you remember that time you climbed that tree? I knew you were climbing too high, I just knew that you’d fall, but you urged me to let you, begged me to let go of your hand so you could reach the next branch. And you know what happened? You made it. You reached it. You didn’t fall. I let go, and you stayed safe. It’s in my nature to be a little bit overbearing at times. I’ll always have worries– am I raising you the right way? Are you growing the way you should? How much life insurance should I have in case something happens to me? What sort of things do you need to know before you prepare for kindergarten?

I want to tell you right now that I don’t have all of the answers, but I do want to make you some promises.

Zach, I will always say yes when you ask for a hug.

I will always kiss every scrape, and I will always get you a bandaid, even if I don’t see a scratch.

I will say yes to finger painting, and yes to mud puddles, and yes to messes if I know you can learn from them.

I will be there when you need a shoulder to cry on, need someone to kiss it better, and need someone to talk to.

I will not let you watch Anaconda 3 no matter how many times you ask. I know it’s too scary for you, no matter how much you insist you want to see it.

I will not protect you from the hurt of breakups, but I will definitely be there to tell you it will be okay and to help you move past the hurt they cause.

I will always wipe your tears, whether they’re caused by the fact that we’re out of your favorite kind of breakfast cereal, or if your fish dies, or if your favorite toy breaks.

I will encourage your passions, even if I don’t always understand them.

I will listen to you sing Bad Moon Rising for the 4,000th time today because I know it’s your favorite song, even if I cannot take it one more time.

I will stand up for you when the neighbors are sick of your drumming, and soundproof the house if I have to.

I will hug you after every bad dream, and hold you until you feel better.

I will invest in your future because I know you have a bright one.

I will believe you when you say you’re going to be an astronaut and visit the moon, because I believe your dreams are bigger than the fact that NASA cancelled the lunar program, and I know you can do anything you put your mind to.

I will not protect you from the hurt that you feel when you don’t succeed at something, but I will help you see the silver lining, the talents you have, and the potential you have to achieve something even greater than you dreamed.

I will not be a perfect mom, and I will not always be your friend, but I will be a mom who loves you, who wants the most for you, and who will always love you no matter what.

I will sometimes make you angry. That’s part of being a mom.

I will make you happy a whole lot more, though, I hope.

I will protect you from some things, but not from everything, because I know that when it comes to loving and protecting you, sometimes things are out of my hands, no matter how much I wish they weren’t. I will remember the words that Marlin said to Dory, “I promised I wouldn’t let anything happen to him…”

But I will remember the words Dory said to Marlin even more… “Well what fun would that be?”

I will let things happen to you, and I will hope that they are good things. I will throw myself in front of any bad thing I can, I will do my best to keep you from any hurt that I can, I will try to protect you in every way that I can.

But I promise you that when I can’t protect you, I will be there to pick up the pieces and dust you off so we can move forward together.

You have my whole heart, you are my whole world, you make me smile and you’ve made me shed tears for the little man you are becoming way too fast. You surprise me with your talents and your passions, your skills and your dreams. And there will be many times that I have an urge to protect you from climbing one branch higher, one goal closer, one dream further, and I will have to realize that in trying to protect you from those things, I’m only protecting my own heart instead of letting you grow into the man you will be.

But I will always be right there– under the tree to catch you, a phone call away when you’re grown and moved out, an eye watching over you long after I’m gone, because I would do anything to keep you safe and secure for as long as I can.

My protection will come in many forms over the years. It may be a hug when you’re having a bad day, me stopping you from watching a scary movie, help with your school work, keeping you from a friend who is a bad influence or urging you towards friends who are good ones, life insurance to make sure you will have what you need even after I’m gone, and a whole heck of a lot of prayers, because that’s my job as a mom.

But I have to tell you one thing: no matter how much I will protect you, you will learn lessons on your own. Some of them will be hard, but I promise, every single one will make you into the man you’re meant to be. Our journeys are never perfect, but they are purposeful. I will protect you, I will love you, and I will do everything I can to make your journey as hurt-free as possible…and when I can’t, I’ll be there when you need help feeling better.

I’m your mom, and I love you. Nothing will ever change that. I will protect you.

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As moms, sometimes, we rush to protect our kids. It’s hard to let them experience troubles, or hurt. And I know none of us are willingly going to let our kids experience anything negative. But at the same time, it can be hard as moms to really let go and let our kids do what they need to do. Like when Zach decided to climb one branch higher, and my heart was racing, and he was successful, had I held him back, would I have been protecting him, or protecting myself and keeping him from realizing his potential? Obviously, moms, I’m not encouraging you to put your kids in harm’s way. That’s a duh. But I am saying that, with a watchful eye and careful supervision, you might be surprised at the amazing things your kids are capable of when you protect them by letting them be a little more free.

As a protective mom, I’m often looking at resources to help me better protect my son, and came across this resource. I know I have a lot of planning to do for my son’s future, to make sure that he has everything he needs. But mostly, I really want to be there and protect him with my support and love as he lives life to the fullest.

 

How do you protect your kids?