I had an "aha" moment a few weeks ago as my toddler was reciting the names of the Bubble Guppies - why does she not know our address and phone numbers?
God forbid she
ever need the information, but the thought of my kid running around
this earth knowing the Bub-bub-bub-bub-bubble Guppies and not her address just seemed insane.
So I taught her the same way I accidentally taught her the lyrics to "Body Like a Back Road" - repetition.
Each time I pull into the driveway, I recite our address and phone numbers.
This is how it goes for us:
"E do you know where you live? Where do you live?" Then I say our address.
"Do you know how to call mommy? Say call my mommy," then I say my phone number. Within a few weeks, she had it memorized.
I love my kids. I'd low jack them if I could, but I can't, I asked. So this is giving me some peace.
I may not be there at every moment to hold their hands, but I pray that no matter where they go, they will always find the way home.
If you give this a try, or have other ways you teach your kids about basic safety, I'd love to hear it!
~D & H
She showed up with big blue eyes; eyes that have a piercing & illuminating joy.
Lumens are the amount of emitted light that our eyes can see. Our family is brighter because of her light.
Welcome to our world little one, you are a gift from God.
Parenting is teaching your children that there are no limits to what they can achieve, while teaching them that there are limits to what they can do.
This dichotomy is challenging to teach and is the driving force behind the ever growing wine (whine?) industry.
Okay, maybe it isn't the driving force, but it certainly plays a role.
Our toddler is a sweet, earnest, intelligent and loving little human who is more stubborn than anyone I have ever met.
A friend pointed me to this book "Setting Limits With Your Strong-Willed Child" and after buying the book, I realized I made a $7.70 mistake in thinking I could power through the book this month. So I subscribed to Audible and got the audio book.
ABSOLUTELY worth the listen. I feel like I have added tools to my parenting toolbox in a simple, straight-forward and data driven way. The author lays out examples, guides you in examining your personality and the personality of your kid, and has you walk through typical struggles with your kid to highlight what ACTUALLY WORKS when you are setting limits.
The takeaway for me has been that kids learn through our actions. If our words say "put your shoes on" and our actions don't require that of them, we are teaching them not to value what we say.
I hope my daughters know that the world is theirs to conquer - whatever that means for them. I hope they understand limits, why they are there, why they are meaningful and why they aren't.
There will be limits that I hope they always respect, and there will be limits that I hope to God they fearlessly break through. Maybe good parenting looks like teaching them which ones are which.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” -Pablo Picasso
The world is yours kid. Except that. That belongs to your sister. Put it down.
~D & H
