Good Job

Having little beings (children) to take care of and who look up to me ain’t easy because I don’t have all the answers, what I fail? What if I am too hard on them? What if…? What if…?

These thoughts buzz through my head most times but I do not have the time to sit and let them weigh me down.

I learnt early enough from books and speakers that criticism and negativity only fosters low self-esteem, so I try to encourage my children as much as I can, even when I am busy or tired and they are like:

“Mummy, see what I did, or see what I am doing, I try to say, wow! That’s good! Sometimes they go to their room, bring down clothes from the hangers, put on their shoes (you need to see the room I just tidied, now looking like a war zone)

What are they doing?

They want to play dress up and mummy should clap for them.

What can I do? With gritted teeth, I smile and clap.

After giving them a bath on Tuesday, I told them to go put on their cloth. My second daughter who is two going on thirty was crying because she was having a hard time wearing hers, then I overheard Tori (my three going on fifty, first daughter) telling her:

” yes, you are trying, that’s good, keep going, wow! you did it yourself!

Then she starts clapping for her. They came to meet me and she and she said,

“Mummy, Nugie wore her cloth herself, clap for her.” I dutifully clap while Nuggie smiles so wide, I fear her skin will break.

Moments like this gives me hope, I may not have it together all the time but I see and hear things like this and I tell myself:

I am a good mother!!! Then I nod my head invisibly like an agama lizard while giving myself an invisible pat on the back.

Do you encourage yourself, give yourself a pass mark?

What were the things your children did and you told yourself: “I am on the right track!

Do share…

xoxo