Dragons and Little Girls

Thursday night I had a dream that a dragon lived on the outskirts of our town. My seven-year-old came to me and told me "Daddy, I am going to go slay the dragon!" I said "ok, have fun". My dream then switched to a scene where people were telling the dragon that my seven-year-old daughter was coming to slay him and the dragon said (yes, a talking dragon in my dream) "well when she comes I will burn her to a crisp." My dream then jumped to my daughter walking up the the dragon to slay him. The dragon stood up to his full 20 feet height and took in a deep breath. My daughter screamed and turned to run away. The dragon breathed out a huge ball of fire and burned my daughter up on the spot.

I woke up in a cold sweat with my heart racing. I jumped out of bed and went into my seven-year-old's room to make sure she was ok. She was sleeping peacefully. I kissed her on the cheek and whispered "I love you" in her ear and then I went back to bed.

As I lay in bed I could not stop thinking about the dream I had just had. The thought finally came to me that perhaps the dream had some meaning. As I thought about that I believe the answer finally came to me.

In the morning I sat my girls down over breakfast and told them about my dream. I then asked them if I was a good father in the dream. They said no. I asked why not and they said my little girl wanted to do something that I knew she should not do, and that had a high likelihood of hurting her, and even though I knew what she wanted to do was very bad for her, I said go ahead and do whatever you want. I asked my girls "Well, I wanted to be a cool dad, I wanted to let her do what she wanted, isn't that good?" My girls said it was not good and that as the dad I had to make sure she did not do things that I knew were bad for her. I jumped for joy!!! I told them that was exactly right and that as the dad (or parent) if I saw that my children wanted to do something that I knew they should not do I have the responsibility to stop them. They all AGREED!!!

I then asked them what kind of "dragons" they may face as they grow up. My nine-year-old said rip tides in the ocean and when we tell her to not swim out so far she needs to listen. I told her that was a good example, and that other examples include friends they may want to have, movies they may want to see, parties they may want to go to, and those types of things. I told them that when they get older and want to do these things that some of them might not be good for them. I told them their mother and I have lived a longer life and have gained experience and wisdom about right and wrong. Tiffany added that we are blessed with the Spirit of our Father in Heaven to direct us as to what our children should and should not do. I added that because we have wisdom and experience we have a duty to make sure our children do not do things that we know are bad for them, and that when we say they cannot hang out with a certain friend, or group, or see a certain movie, or go to a certain party it is because we are protecting them from going after dragons. They all seemed to understand and even commented that they would not ever want me to let them do something if I thought they should not do it.

Seizing on this very rare opportunity, and given the attitudes my girls had at the moment, I asked them who they think knows more about what is right and wrong, and good and bad for them, them or their mother and I. They all said their mother and I knew more about right and wrong and good and bad than they did. I told them that was true, but that as they grew into teenagers they would not believe it. I told them that if we had a sign on the walls of our home that said "Parents know more than their children about what their children should and should not do" and if we read it very morning together as a family, they would happily agree today that it is true, but that when they turned 13 years old they would look at it and say "bologna!!" My girls said "no way dad!" It then dawned on me that I should have been video taping this entire conversation.

I told my girls that from age 13-20 children stop thinking that their parents know what is best. Just like babies get older and grow teeth, some babies get older and grow hair, children become teenagers and their brains stop working and they forget that their parents know what is best. I told them that when those days come they need to remember the story of the dragon and remember that parents do not do a good job when they just let their children do whatever they want.

My nine-year-old then said she would never think that way, and I jokingly told her I should have her sign a contract. She said that was fine with her and she went and got a piece pf paper and wrote the following:

"CONTRACT FOREVER (Until I'm 3,050,000,000,000)
I, by the City of Las Vegas and the State of Nevada, I declare that ...
Parents are smarter than children and when they say no we the kids go with that! And that is that!"
She then signed her name to the bottom and asked Tiffany and I to sign it with her.

My oldest then drew up her own contract that said:

"My parents know more and I will listen to them always. I know that when I am a teenager I will want to do things with my friends and my parents will say that it is not a good idea. My parents have lived a longer life and know more. I should listen to them, whenever I ask them to do something. I promise to listen to them and take their advice."

She then printed and signed her name at the bottom.

It is neat to have such great children. It is also wonderful to have a Heavenly Father who leads and directs me (even through dreams at times) as to how to teach my daughters.