One of my favorite things to do is go out to eat with my little man. Our little momma and B dates have become a common outing and we always make it a night – dinner and ice cream of course.
I wrote in a post a while back how I let him order his own food. We talk about what he wants before hand, but he is the one that tells the waiter or cashier what he wants. Well, I like to take it a step farther…I let him pay.
Most recently, we had gone on a dinner date to Chick-Fil-A. Before we got out of the car, I had asked if him if he was going to pay for dinner. With no hesitation he said, “I got this momma, ” and had a massive smile on his face. I gave him my card and he put it in his little pocket. We get up to the register and he orders his food, I order mine, and then the cashier looks at me and says, “your total will be $16.53.” B asks me to pick him up so he can reach the tap to pay. He taps the card it goes through and the Chick-Fil-A worker looks at B with a smile and says, “Here you go sir!” and hands him the receipt. B takes it tells her thank you, grabs his drink, and leads me to the table of his choosing.
I want you to picture this. A 4 year old little dude with pride beaming on his face as he pays for his momma’s meal. It did not matter one second that it wasn’t his money, what mattered was the sentiment that he got to pay for momma. He got to take care of momma. In his eyes, he got to provide for his momma. That feeling and the joy doesn’t fade away no matter how many times he is the one that pays for us. All I did was give him a card, but to him, it was a chance to take care of someone else.
When we got to the table he chose I looked at him and said, “Thank you buddy!” With that precious smile he told me you’re welcome and went to grab us straws and ketchup.
I know parenting is hard and sometimes the patience is gone by 10 AM, but they absorb all the words, memories, and moments. Next time you go out to eat, let your little one pay. Let them have a chance to “provide” for you as you have provided for them so many times. Not only does it have an impact on their little heart, but it also creates a new bond between you and your little that is so special.
Thank you buddy. <3
The Single Momma 