Monday, May 4, 2009

The "Mommy why"

Children's incessant questions are a source of smiles, giggles and sometimes frustration.  But some questions can be profound.   Like this one:  "Why do babies come to mommies and daddies so small?"

I automatically said, "because if you came to me big it would be too hard to teach you things like talking, walking, how to eat and much more."  I went on to demonstrate not knowing how to walk as a grown up.  He laughed and we moved on.

The answer lingered... 

There are things we need to teach children while they are small or it will be too difficult to teach them later.  Am I teaching him everything he needs to know?  
  1. Walking and talking - check 
  2. Manners and eating - check  
  3. Dealing with rude kids - mostly a check  
  4. Stranger danger - and unfinished check  
  5. Loving and respecting yourself - a work in progress check  
  6. Having a goal, making a planning and perservering - no check  
  7. Having a budget, making choices and sticking to it (self control) - a work in progress check

Think about those intangible "need to knows" that don't come in a text book but that you must learn to get on in this life.  It is not too early to do some age appropriate life lessons.

Here are some books to check out:

  • The A to Z Guide to Raising Happy, Confident Kids (Paperback) by Dr. Jenn Berman
  • Not Everyone Is Nice: Helping Children Learn Caution with Strangers (Let's Talk) by Frederick Alimonti, Ann Tedesco Ph.D., Erik DePrince, and Jessica Volinski
  •  7 Secrets Of Highly Successful Kids: New Edition (Millennium Generation Series) (Millennium Generation Series) (Paperback) by Peter Kuitenbrouwer
  •  Kids Finance 101: A Guide to Financial Success for Parents and their Children (Paperback) by Yvonne Brooks

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