Kids are Great Too!

I guess I have been talking a lot of smack about the kiddos lately.  Not that they don't deserve it, but they have a good side too.  We just don't acknowledge things when everything is great.  I am the worst at this.  I do tell my children how proud of them I am and that I love them, every day, all day, but I think we as parents have a tendency to focus on the "bad" behavior and to not give enough kudos to good behavior.  Not that we need to give them "stuff" or gold stars or anything, but tender words from an adult they love go so far in building up a child.

I think the greatest gift I give my children, and the greatest life lesson, is to admit when I am wrong and apologize to them.  I have had mornings where my face turned red, my head popped off and I began screaming.  This is no way to send your child to school.  So I take a minute, tell them I should not have yelled and apologize and ask to start the morning over.  This also teaches children that it is okay to mess up, as long as we apologize and try to make it right.  Now, I only do this if I was wrong, not if they are all fighting and spilling stuff and calling each other names, then I yell and they deserve it.  Yelling is not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you don't over do it.  If your voice is hoarse, you are probably yelling way too much.

Kids are unique and wonderful and weird, and I love them.  I cannot believe the things they can achieve, they constantly amaze me and that is a daily miracle I treasure.

What wonderful thing has your child done lately, even on a small scale?  Notice them when they are doing "right" not just when they mess up.  I promise you, you will not regret it.

God bless you and yours.