Friday, February 8, 2013

The Best Parents

Blog post #85 of 365

I read the ABC's of being a good parent the other day. It went like this.

Ask about my day
Be present when you’re with me
Celebrate my little victories
Dote on me
Encourage me when I’m down
Forgive my mistakes
Grow with me
Help me when I need it
Insist I eat my veggies
Joke with me
Kiss me even when I don’t want you to
Listen to me
Make memories with me
Notice when I do something right
Organize me until I can do it myself
Play with me a lot
Question me about my day
Read to me then read with me
Smile at me
Turn off my electronics
Understand me
Value me
Wait patiently because I’ll get it some day
XXX and OOO me every day
Yell less
Zero in on what makes me, me.

Those are all very good. There are a few I would add.

Always protect me from harm but not from myself. If I make a mistake let me learn from it.
Begin every day with love
Cuddle with me every day
Don't worry what other parents are doing go with your gut and do what is right
Give me opportunities to learn
Excite me about the world
Find ways to have fun with me
Get dirty with me
Have a little time for yourself while I'm napping or at school so you don't grow impatient
Insist I follow the rules
Jump and play with me
Kindness is always on the menu even when it feels hard
Love me even when I'm not acting lovable
Monkey around sometimes
Never be afraid to tell me no
Organize yourself so I can see how it is done and we will have more time for learning and play
Pay attention
Quiet time is good
Really listen
Speak with love even when you're angry
Turn off the TV
Use kindness
Value our time together
Wish with me but keep me grounded
XXX and OOO me every night too
Yell a lot less
Zero in on all of my good qualities and help me make them better

I could probably make a few more lists too but these are a good place to start.

I wish someone had given me these lists when I was starting out. I made lots of mistakes but I learned from every one of them. I hope you parents do too.

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