What's your parenting superpower?

So you all know I am super-obsessed with Motherstyles.

I remember when I first read the book I blogged and said that my Motherstyle skills were going to come more into play as the kids aged.

It's true.

Remember this little talk I had with Kendra?

Well, I find myself REALLY enjoying these thinking, reasoning, sometimes logical little people.

Just a few quick examples that come to mind:

1. The other night I got home and the sunroom toys were in the kitchen.

Have I told you I don't pack other people's things away? My rule is I didn't play with them so I'm not packing them away! Yessss, I'm that mother.

I won't put their toys away unless I've taken them from their designated homes to organise them.

So I told Kendra to take them back to the sunroom.

She started whining and I found myself saying, "Kendra, we all have to do things sometimes even if we don't want to just because they're the right things to do. Do you think I always feel like coming home and cooking supper? No. But I know Daddy and I have to eat and so I cook."

Hmmm.

The lightbulb went on and she went to pack her stuff away. :)



I love these red "after sleep" cheeks

 2. I said something the other day and Kendra tried to say it but battled a little with the thr sound or similar.

I was encouraging her to try again and she says, "I can't. It's too hard".

Out of the corner of my eye I saw D cringe and make a face because he knows. He knows.

Saying this to me is like waving a red cloth in front of a bull.


I knelt down so I was level with her and said, "Kendra, you CAN do it. Even if it doesn't happen now, you CAN do it. Please don't say you can't."

And so on.

Poor thing. At "two and a half" which is what she says if you ask her how old she is, she's getting coaching from her mother.

But it worked.

Because a few days later, Connor had the same thing and said, "I can't. It's too hard!" (where do they get these things? We never say things like that) and Kendra said, "Connor, don't say that. You can say it. Just keep trying"

Oh! It warmed my little motivating heart :)

playing with the craft stick puzzles

3. This morning Connor had a biscuit (Pro-Vita) and he says to Kendra, "Kenna (so cute!), do you want a piece?"

They negotiate size of the piece and he shares nicely and she says thank you nicely.

Some child romance :)

D walks into the bedroom and I said, "D, Connor was a very generous boy".

Connor What's that, Mummy? What does generous mean?

Me It's when you like to share and give some of your things to other people.

(hey, it's the best I could do with a second's notice)

And then we talked more about how it makes people feel nice, both the giver and the recipient when we show love by being generous.

D just smiles at all this life lesson stuff :)


So this is my thing. I'm good at teaching them life lessons and how the world works. By the way, I've always (ALWAYS) wanted to do little confidence-building classes for kids (around 8 - 10). I may just pick that up when mine are a little older.

What is your parenting superpower/ what are you good at? If you're a good nurturer (one of my worse traits), my hat's off to you!

PS if you haven't yet done the Motherstyles quiz, what are you waiting for? Do it.

PPS Here are all my Motherstyles posts.