On Friday evening, I decided to go through some of the pins on my Parenting board to determine if they were "keepers," or if it was time to "clean house." I saw a pin entitled, "7 Things Kids Need to See Their Mom Doing." I had this sudden burst of inspiration that I should come up with my own list of 7 things my girls should see me doing before consulting the article to see the writer's opinions.
Here is my personal list:
7 Things My Kids Need to See Their Mom Doing:
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1. PRAYING: I want to be an example of prayer for my girls. I want them to see me turning to God for my daily strength. I want to model for them how I turn to God when I am sick, sad, hurt, thankful, joyful, or irritable--how I feel comfortable taking every emotion to God. By showing them my faith in God to stay with me and comfort me in all times and during all emotional up- and down-turns, I want to provide a model for them for their own lives. I want them to know that I feel closer to God by turning to Him, by talking to Him, and by trusting in Him.
2. THANKING: I want my girls to see that I recognize my blessings. I want to model for them how I recognize all the good things in my life. And I especially want them to know how thankful I am that God has made us a family!
3. LEARNING: I don't have too many pithy sayings that I hope my kids will quote as they grow up, but there is one that I say whenever I can: "It's a good day when you can learn something new." I value a teachable spirit above just about anything else, I think, and I love to continue learning new things every day of my life. I want them to see me learning all the time, so that they will feel comfortable "not knowing," and then inspired to learn all that they can each day of their lives.
4. LOVING: I want my girls to see me loving them and their daddy throughout their lives. I want them to observe affection, so they know that they deserve the same in their own relationships when they are older. (Though even at age 7, Bayla already says things like, "Eww, Mommy and Daddy KISSED!" as though the little peck on the lips she's observed is the grossest thing she's ever seen.)
5. APPRECIATING: I want to present a positive attitude about myself and my abilities to my girls. I don't want to raise them thinking that they need to be self-deprecating or self-degrading in order to "come off" as humble. I want them to recognize their God-given gifts, and envision how they can use them for God's glory, so they need to see me doing the same.
6. PURSUING: I want my girls to see me pursuing my interests, my hobbies, and the things that bring me joy. There are things that have to be done in life--jobs, requirements, duties. But I never want my girls to lose sight of the hours in the day they can preserve to pursue what is important to them, what uses their unique and individual gifts, what sets them on fire. They might not learn that as easily if they don't see their mom making time for it!
7. ENCOURAGING: No matter how anyone else in the world treats my girls, I want them to know that I am their #1 fan. I always felt this affirmation from my own mom, and it made such a difference in my confidence for facing the challenges of life. I want to gift my girls with that same sense of encouragement. They are beloved children of God, and they are my own beloved children--the absolute treasures of my life--and I never want them to forget their absolute and eternal value.
So, of course, then, I went to the article that I pinned to see the author's "take" on the 7 Things Kids Need to See Their Mom Doing.
Now, you can check out the article I pinned to see how that author's ideas compared to mine!
Happy Mothers' Day!
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