One
of the moments I look forward to each day is my head finally meeting my pillow
at the days end. Not just because I am
utterly exhausted, but it is a time to reflect upon the day. Where did I go wrong? What did we do that was absolutely a
delight? Who should I have been more
kind to? Why didn’t I stop to give that
homeless person $5? What can I do to raise our girls to be confident, kind, and genuine
spirits? This is the worry that plagues
me the most.
It breaks my heart thinking of my girls failing at
anything. It sounds terrible for me to
say this, and it’s ridiculous to think that I can shield them from all of
life’s disappointments. When I think
back to my own childhood, it was the most difficult and trying times that I
learned the biggest lessons of all. My
heart gets in a panic just thinking about their upcoming sports, school, and
sleepovers. How will they be okay when
I’m not there to care for them? Instead
of getting myself all tied in knots worrying, I’ve been trying to compile a
list of thoughts/ideas/ways to help our daughters grow to be independent, kind,
and polite individuals.
Some of them are simple.
My ideas are listed below and I hope that you come away from this blog
taking comfort that you are not alone.
Us parents have to stick together.
We’re all in this together.
Instead of competing, lets encourage, share, and spread kindness amongst
ourselves and our children.
1.
Practice what you preach. Simply put, our kids replicate our actions,
so choose them wisely. Use polite manners (please, thank you, your welcome, so
on).
2.
More is not necessarily the best. (for us, anyway) More extra-curricular activities, more play
dates, more trips to the library, more vacations, etc…that doesn’t equal up to
mean that you win parent of the year award.
Of course it is nice to get out of the house and socialize, but some of
the best learning experiences and memories are made in the back yard. Use these experiences to your advantage. Instead of reading a magazine, dig with them
to make mud pies, show them how to plant/care for flowers, search for frogs and
insects, and share in their simple delight.
3.
Show them
how to be kind. Teach them to share, the
best that you can. Toddlers obviously
don’t catch on to this easily. Don’t let
them always get their way. At Wal-Mart,
teach them to say “hello” to the cashier, “good-bye,” and “thank you”. Such simple actions can go a long way in
life. Kindness will pave the way for
their future. We should all learn from
the simple ways of a child. Today in
Wal-Mart we were probably stopped 10 times.
Why? Because Bella was giving
each person who passed her by her most beautiful squinty-eyed smile. J Is it so hard for us to share smiles with
strangers?
4.
The hardest
thing for me is to teach them that they will not succeed in everything they
do. They can try their hardest at
everything, but they will not always win!
5.
On special
occasions, create small gifts for them to give to their family members and
neighbors. Giving to others brings the
greatest joy to little kids, and to the receivers as well.
6.
Encourage
their strengths! Don’t push an activity
that they don’t love. Watch their
emotions…and follow what brings them happiness.
7.
Raise them
to be children of God. Most importantly,
teach them to pray. Teach them that they
are beautifully and perfectly made.
Teach them that they are always loved and wanted. Tell them just how special and important they
are. Give hugs often! Teach them to treat others as they would want
to be treated, and follow that almighty golden rule.
This
is just the start to my list. Please
know that these are just my personal ideas and thoughts, and by no means are
the best suited for everyone. I’d love to hear your ideas…’cause I most
definitely have lots of room to grow and improve.
Here’s one of my favorite quotes for my kids.
“Learning is their journey.
Let them navigate.
Push them to explore.
Watch them discover.
Encourage their questions.
Allow them to struggle.
Support their thinking.
Let
them fly.”
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