I gave my kids journals recently so they could start being good examples to me. I love to write, but it is one of those things I just don't take time for. We've designated the time after church on Sunday for journal writing. Since it is still new and exciting, Josh and Kayla came home from church and wanted to write before they ate. I thought they were crazy and told them I wouldn't help them until I had food in my belly.
Josh had a lesson on talents in church today so he decided to write his talents in his journal and thus, Kayla did too. I loved it! I wish I had as much confidence as my kids. I think we all need to do better at recognizing what we are good at. Josh put that he was good at bicycling (because he just learned to ride his bike), reading, school, making friends and swimming. Kayla had me write for her. She said she was good at playing with friends, inviting friends over, doing the dishes and cleaning bathrooms (future Homemaker of America).
I've been thinking a lot about how to help my kids recognize what they are good at lately because Josh is getting to the age that he really is recognizing he's not as good at some things as others. The other day we were outside with the neighbor kids and two little girls, both a year younger than him, were making fun of him because he still rode a bike with training wheels (mostly my fault- we just hadn't taken the time to help him). They had been bugging him about it for a few weeks and I guess he had had enough. He said, "Well I can read chapter books. I can read 13 chapters in one day." I almost gave him a lecture on being humble, but then I realized that what he had done was great! He recognized what he was good at and stood up for himself.
So a few good things came out of that for me- I learned to let my kids be proud of their accomplishments, and we finally took the time to help Josh learn to ride his bike.
