When the "right" way is not working: Lessons from a toy

This morning Alex was playing as he usually does, this time he started playing with a little ball that has holes to different shapes. He has made the connection that certain shapes go into certain holes, so this time he was trying to get the triangle out from the way it usually goes in. He can totally fir his hand in there but he cannot get the triangle out unless he lets go and takes it out by the bigger hole on the back. Well Alex being Alex he decided he wanted to take it out the "right" way, meaning through the right hole. He was getting pretty frustrated, until he finally gave up and took it out from behind and there he went happy as ever.

Not from this morning, but the toy I'm talking about

Looking at him going through this experience, I realized that it was like watching myself in so many ways (talk about a parenting mirror eh?) I realized that there are many times when I think/believe there is a right way to be a mom, of doing things, and foolishly I persist in trying those things when it's clearly not working. Really when all I had to do was open the hole from the back so-to-speak. I'm doing better, I think haha. I have come to realize that having too much information is a double-edge sword. When you use it with flexibility it's a great asset, but when you cling to it and forget to realize that your son is a human - with all of the implications of what that means- it's really not that fantastic, in fact, it's quite frustrating because things are not going by the book. As Alex continues to grow, I marvel more at his uniqueness, and what it truly means to do things the right way, which is doing what is best depending on the day, his mood, my mood, circumstances etc. It works out so much better and I don't feel frustrated but am able to enjoy him more and his own humanness - which is by the way adorable.