Adventures on "Monkey See, Monkey Do"

When my seven year old daughter was only two years old, she took her napkin from the table and opened it up and placed it on her nap as she began her meal.  I looked at her in awe, and asked her why she did that.  She told me she saw me do it.  Well, duh…  Lesson learned.

It took my by surprise when my son starts telling me that he was cutting his waffles like daddy does it.  He put one waffle on top of the other, began cutting, then poured his syrup before depositing his knife in the sink and sat down to eat.  (I pour syrup, then eat as I cut.  We are so different.)  While there was absolutely nothing wrong with that process, it just showed me again how our children learn from us.

That is sometimes a good thing, and often times, not so great.  Like, when my seven year old daughter has to verbally reprimand her eight year old brother for not listening to her the first time she told him to do something.  (Gets really hard to hear a seven year old use the same words as fly out of my mouth on a regular basis.)

While I appreciated the reminder this morning, I bet all of us parents, or parents-to-be, could use the reminder as well.   Go out of your way to embrace yourself, laugh at yourself, and value yourself.  Not just because little eyes are watching your every word, but they are mimicking your actions as well.

To the MANY parents-to-be out there right now- getting past diapers, sleepless nights, bedtime routines, etc., are all the easy stuff.  It's the preparing them for life and making them healthy, happy, adjusted individuals that is the tough stuff.  If you don't question yourself- you are doing it wrong.