When everything matters

It's months away but already the wee man is planning his birthday party. He is planning it whether we like it or not. If we choose to say no well I think that would be the end of the world for him. Finally things are starting to matter to our 4 year old. Gone are the days when we as parents could freely choose without involving him. Well I am a mum and not a dictator and sometimes I swear I have the word SUCKER etched on my head which helps his case. Now is the time when my parenting skills really start to matter. Never mind the baby books, the parenting books, the articles my friends post on social media about the 'top ten things to do to raise your child as"insert said manner here"'. I laugh because I applaud anyone who can think like that when you are in the thick of it. I just try and stay calm and not shout which takes enough energy as it is. I have to think about the important values I would like him to consider which will hopefully bode him well in the future especially when the views of his peers and the big wide world influence him even more. Now I need to decide whether Santa Clause is really real and how much is the tooth fairy going to give. He honestly came home from school the other day and innocently asked "When are we going to Disneyland Paris?" It was not can we go but an assumption that if his friends are doing it well so should we. Friendships really REALLY matter now! The friends list is like a sacred thing and I myself am not sure of the rules. We are trying to go with you can be friends with more than one person and even if you don't want to play you can at least say hi. The thing is that a lot of what matters to him now is done a lot without me. Which parent does not want to be that fly on the wall in the school play ground. There is a programme on Channel Four about the life of 4 year olds and I think I should watch it and probably take notes!