For me motherhood was like being given a gift that I never even knew existed. I mean there is no way I could have ever known how it would feel to be a mother until each child was placed into my arms. That’s why becoming a mom has changed so much about who I am.
I have learned through parenting that there isn’t always a right or wrong way to handle a situation. I have also become aware that it doesn’t hurt to be open to different solutions to different scenarios as well.
I recently read a children’s book to my kiddos called “Because Your Mommy Loves You“. As I read it I had to laugh to myself at how differently I do things with my kids most of the time. However, the more I read, the more I realized that perhaps while my way of parenting isn’t wrong, it may not hurt me to be a little bit more like the mommy in the book.
Because Your Mommy Loves You is all about helping your child to understand that doing things for themselves builds confidence within them. It helped me to see that independence even as a young child is important.
The book is about a mom and child who go on a camping trip together. During their trip things happen to where the mother could step in and fix everything. Instead, she provides her child with the knowledge he needs to succeed at the tasks on his own.
The way the book was written showed me that not doing everything for your child doesn’t mean you aren’t a good mother. As a matter of fact, it showed me just the opposite. Hopefully the next time I have the chance to lead by example, I’ll take it, rather than just stepping in and doing it myself.
BECAUSE YOUR MOMMY LOVES YOU
By Andrew Clements and Illustrated by R.W. Alley
Ages 4 and up
About the author:
Andrew Clements is the author of many best-selling books, among them the middle grade novel Frindle. He lives in Westborough, Massachusetts, and can be found at www.andrewclements.com.
About the illustrator:
R. W. Alley is the illustrator of many beloved picture books, including the Paddington Bear series. He lives in Barrington, Rhode Island. Visit him at www.rwalley.com.
*I received a copy of this book for my review. I received no other form of compensation.
I foster independence in the kids by encouraging them to poor their own drinks, dress themselves/pick out their clothes, etc. They definitely feel good about themselves when they can start doing more on their own!
My daughter brushes her own teeth, sometimes fixes her own lunches or breakfasts, gets dressed on her own, helps with household chores–lots more! I am a firm believer in teaching them early
My children brush their own teeth and clean their own rooms. They also help keep the house clean by picking up their toys and putting them back into their rooms at the end of the day.
I let them make their own decisions…though sometimes I might give them better options.
I try very hard to stand back and let them do it themselves even if it means it’s not done right or is messier or takes longer. I feel this is an important part of parenting.
by letting them make choices
I let them work through their problems.
I always encourage my kids to argue their point of view on things. Like if I tell them I don’t think something is a good idea and they can’t go somewhere. I allow them to give me reasons why they should be aloud to do it. I think it is important for them to know how to argue their point of view or opinion constructively.
I encourage them to think for themselves, I teach them how to do simple tasks when they are young to care for themselves such as picking out their own clothing, giving themselves a bath with me supervising of course, letting them brush their own hair and picking out their own foods.
I only have a 2 yr old, but I encourage her to try things for herself.
I try to sit back and observe first before jumping in to help
I always encouraged my Kids to try new things, and not be discouraged if they weren’t “the best” @ the new thing right away! Also let them know that if they loved doing something but weren’t necessarily an “All-Star” @ it, it was ok to keep doing it – that how they felt about something was more important than how others measured their success in something!
I try to “let” my daughter do things like pour the milk or get something out of a drawer even if I know it might lead to an accident or a mess. It is SO hard to allow her to do it at her own pace but otherwise she’ll never learn.
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