How do you explain things to your kids?

I know that they have to earn about the disappointment and sadness in life, but it is really hard to watch. A friend of mine recently had to attempt to explain to her son why he would not see a friend anymore. Not for anything he had done, but for the circumstances of life that he had no control over and he was really sad.

Sunday I had to tell William that someone he really wanted to attend one of his soccer games this year (and had said they were coming), was not coming once again. Then I had to break it to him that due to scheduling conflicts for the last two games, it was not going to happen at all. He looked at me with that same sad hopeful face that he did when the person did not come to a baseball game in the spring and said, "Maybe he will come next year". How sad. How sad that I have now heard that same statement for two years and two seasons and he still has hope. It broke my heart. Then it made me really mad. But what can you do, you can't make someone do something they don't want to.

I am hoping that he doesn't know how much William looks up to him, or how disappointed he is every year and every season when he doesn't show up for even a part of a game. How sad it makes him when he is always to busy. I hope he doesn't know these things and not come anyway. I know it isn't a pro game, and I know William isn't the star of the show. But he is our star. He gets up every Saturday or Sunday, and puts on the gear of the season, and heads to the field and he wants people to see him and be proud. So I guess I will hold on to hope with William that during his next season, he might get a visitor that will come cheer him on as promised, who will show him that he is important to him and worth making the time to come and see, not just taking it.

But in the meantime, explaining why disappointment happens, and making sure they know that it has nothing to do with them, and letting them feel the hurt. I have to say is one of the most difficult jobs a parent has. And I have to say it pretty much stinks! I write this blog for the good and the bad, and most of the time it is the good. This one was hard. No photos, no smiles, nothing, but this is what I was feeling today so here it is.