Sometimes I forget...

...that my joyful helper, excited big sister, normally gregarious daughter is still a little girl who needs reassurance from her mommy and daddy.

Poor Elizabeth has been dealing with a messy, chaotic house with no place to really play, as well as a crabby mommy who is short on sleep and patience. It's no wonder she had a meltdown today. She screamed at the top of her lungs that she did not like cleaning up her toys and she was not going to do it. (Thankfully, she actually was putting her toys away during all this ranting.) Normally, in the state I'm in, this would have sent me over the edge. But God gave me an extra dose of patience and understanding during this time, and I was able to hear some of the fear she's having through the rants.

When she was finished, I just pulled her in my lap for a while and let her settle down. Then we were able to talk. I asked her if she is scared about going to Ethiopia. (This was deduced from some of her rantings.) She said that she is afraid of going to a place far away and not knowing any of the kids...that she won't know their names. I reminded her that we'll be right with her the whole time, and that she can ask the kids' names. I told her that we will make sure we learn some important words in these next few weeks so that we can communicate with the kids.

This brings up a struggle I've been having. I absolutely want to be honest and real with her about things we will face. I try to gently explain things to her ahead of time so that she will be prepared when she goes through it, all the while assuring her of how everything will be okay. (For example, we told her that in going to Ethiopia, we will mostly hear other languages, see people who may dress or look different than we are used to, and try food that is new. And that's fine! It'll be fun to try new things, and God makes all people unique.)

But it seems sometimes me doing that makes her fearful or worried before she even gets to an experience. How do I balance the need for preparation with causing her to over think things and worry?