Sally the Camel Has No Humps...

Still fighting my way through some difficult parenting times, but overall the week has been much smoother.  In an effort to "stay ahead of the storm", I am reading yet another parenting book which I pray will have the ultimate answer/solution/saving grace to counteract any difficult situation I may encounter along my parenting journey. And so here is a brief story for your reading pleasure...

Camels are difficult animals. It is said that they are motivated by no one. If they want to do something they will, if not, they simply won't. They are hard to train because unlike a horse they are not motivated by treats, ie. a carrot dangling in front of their nose on a string. In fact it has been said that camel riders are well aware of the camel personality and when preparing for a ride they bring firewood, matches, and a shovel. Why you ask? Well often a camel will simply sit down in the sand and refuse to continue the rider's journey. The rider gets off the camel, digs a hole under the behind of the camel, and lights a small fire with the wood and matches. In time, the camel becomes uncomfortable from the heat of the fire and begins to proceed on its journey once again.

I learned the above information from the parenting book. It was told with regard to defiant children and how to better understand their motivations. Here's the scary realization I made...I'm kind of a camel. I have to tell you that reading the not so flattering description of the camel's personality struck a chord. Stubborn, unpredictable? Check, check. Camels build resentment up more than horses. Yep! 

So in an effort to better understand my children (a horse, a camel, and sort of a hybrid if you will "hamel") I began to dig deeper into my research of camels and horses. Horses are more responsive to cues and are more sensitive than camels. Camels tend to be more emotional, but are also affectionate and inquisitive. Horses are said to be easier to train, but in the end, training a camel is a little more rewarding due to the extreme effort and dedication it requires. Another interesting fact? Camels don't like to leave their own turf, but when they do, they often become more horse-like in their responses.

And so it turns out their are pros and cons to being a camel or a horse. Both horses and camels have their own unique appeal and their own challenges. Something I already knew...