Everyday things to be proud of

Happy New Year. 

I made a list of some of the everyday things my five year old does for which I am proud and grateful.    
 
1. Saying Please, Thank You and Excuse Me.  It's easy to take this for granted if your child does it all the time, but occassionally praising good manners reinforces positive behavior.

2. Offering to help clean or cook. It may be faster to do things ourselves rather than allow a child to help with basic chores, but it's a missed opportunity to spend quality time and teach your child something new. 

3. Wiping her own butt!  I'm grateful that's behind me now (pun intended).

4.  Dressing herself.   We have a race every morning to see who can get dressed the fastest (HINT: get dressed in different rooms so you can't see each other). It's amazing how quickly and happily she dresses herself and it's a fun way to start the day for both of us.

5.  Reading and Writing.  I love reading with my child.  It's the highlight of my day.

6.  Cleaning up after herself without having to be asked.  Not consistant yet, but I'm not one to talk.  My home is not necessarily cluttered but most definitely lived in.  My desk is organized chaos.

7.  Asking questions about things which she does not understand.  I love when she asks me about words or concepts she doesn't understand.  The most recent amazing question she asked me : "What's this whole "God" thing about?" 

8.  Trying new foods.  Adventurous eaters are fun to hang out with.  I love the thoughtful expression on my daughters face as she tries a new food or experiences a new flavor and I like her descriptions of flavors.

9.  Blowing her own nose. When she was two and a half, I endured 45 minutes of her tears and temper tantrum before finally convincing her to blow her nose. She loved the analogy of her as a whale blowing through her spout (and wish I had thought of it sooner).

Hope you enjoyed this list and it inspires you to make one of your own. May 2010 bring good health, enlightenment and prosperity.