1. Being able to see the irony in the fact that while my own teachers struggled with every report card to find a new and creative way to express that I was too quiet (self-possessed, needs to participate more, good listener etc) my kid apparently suffers from the completely opposite problem of constantly talking in class. Sigh.
2. The opportunity to the do the Angel Tree project at work again this year. I like buying gifts for specific people, and my kid enjoys helping pick things out for less fortunate kids.
3. The kid learning how to cook dinner, and being able to do almost everything, except carrying the heavy pot.
4. Toilet paper being cheap enough, that the kid dropping the entire roll in the (unflushed!) potty while trying to change it by herself didn't drive me TOO insane.
5. The kid reading to ME at bedtime after I told her she'd worn me out today.
Something learned:
A parenting class I took a while ago had the fundamental message that a child's primary emotional goal is to achieve belonging and significance. I think that learning this has empowered me so much in how I relate to the kid. It helps cut down on a lot of frustration as she is consulted and kept in the loop about family decisions (though she sometimes has trouble compromising gracefully)
She has developed a good sense of our family's values and how they affect our decisions, e.g. why Mommy or Daddy work more than other parents might, why we don't spend frivolously, how we make our food choices, etc. Perhaps it's just a big plot on our part to instill our own values in the kid, in the guise of decision making exercises. *conspiratorial wink*
I came across a Facebook discussion today where some people were convinced that any child-led philosophy is a recipe for disaster -- e.g. pre-pubescent alcohol and illegal drugs, and that children need coercion to do what's good for them. I think those adults give kids far too little credit. Do they not believe that they are able to pass on their values, or to give their children the tools to make good choices? Or that young humans simply are not able to overcome biology and their lack of brain maturity before the age of 25? Or perhaps, it's just a straw man fallacy at work.
I want to publish a book some day. Preferably fiction, but if not, then any subject I'm qualified to write about, I suppose.
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