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.
5 comments:
That is such a great idea to do with kids. Life would be so much easier if we were better able to find a few good things in ourselves. It's so funny to hear what kids think there great at.
i like that idea, too. i'm not one who stars in many talent shows due to the fact that i can't really sing or dance or play an instrument, etc etc. but i guess talents are not only the outward obvious things. it's good for kids to realize this, too.
You are good! Good for Josh for sticking up for himself... does Lindsay's journal say what a great singer she is? :)
My talents? Number #1 Procrastinator for the Greater Houston area. Yeah! I'm also a Grand Champion Chicken Dancer and I have my own patented sauerkraut and sausage recipe that will blow you away. Well, honestly, anything with sauerkraut in it will naturally blow anyone away. :)
Last year Joe came home from school and told me a neighbor kid made fun of him in PE because he couldn't do more then one pull-up. I happened to know that this kid was not very great at academics and told Joe, "Some kids can do lots of pull-ups and some kids can read well, I am sure that both of you will find a place for your talents later in life." It is hard to make yourself be nice to other rotten kids sometimes.
Joe still hasn't learned to ride with out training wheels yet either, maybe we should get them together for bike riding camp or something.
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