Do as I say, not as I do

I hate bugs and spiders. I really do. Any kind of insect, spider, or "bug" (that term seems to cover them all) is no friend of mine. The problem is, I have a 2 1/2 year old son. I don't want him to grow up to be a wuss like me. Any time I go "Ah!" and let out a little scream, Tyler looks up and casually says, "a bug, mom?" Kenny laughed so hard the first time he heard him do that, because it was obvious he had done it a lot. Which in turn means I must scream every time I see bugs or spiders. (You can also gather from this that we have A LOT of them around here!) It's not like I'm a 100% wuss, I do kill them myself. But like I was saying, I don't want Tyler to be like me because then he'll be made fun of the rest of his life. Little boys are supposed to be fascinated with and interested in bugs, not scared like me. So I checked out a book at the library called I Love Bugs and I read it to him every night until it was due back. I try not to scream when I see a spider crawling in our house. Also, if we're at the park and there's a big bee or wasp flying around I tell him that he's ok, and that it won't get him. (Have I crossed the line there and made myself a liar? I don't know.) I'm just hoping that Ty will pick up the things I say about bugs, not the things I do; otherwise he's doomed!

It's possible that I apply this rule to parenting far too often. For example, swimming at the lake. I am really not a fan of yucky lake water and swimming/walking where I have no idea what's under my feet or swimming around me. I don't let Ty in on that secret though. I tell him that it's fun and he's just fine, etc. Or when he drops food outside and I tell him it's still good to eat. I totally wouldn't eat it. And if he yells at me I make him go sit in his room for a 2 minute timeout, but nobody makes me sit in timeout when I yell. Perhaps I should change my hypocritical ways...but not with the bugs.