Kevin and I drove down to my mom’s place this weekend, so we could spend time with her and my brother and my nephew…and the Gulf of Mexico…
(Me and my nephew, at Navarre Beach, FL)
We stared at it ’til our feet and ankles had disappeared waaay into the sand, and he told me he loved me “deeper than the part of the ocean with sharks in it” that day.
Month. MADE.
And when he reached over to hold my hand during Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs after we got back to my Mom’s place?
Heart. SMITHEREENS.
On the way back from Florida, Kevin and I listened to Diane Sawyer on Oprah Radio’s, “Master Class”. Have you heard/seen that one? I never realized how soothing her voice was until I was just listening to it on the radio. It made me wish I had a more soothing voice. Do kids respond better to soothing voices? I know I didn’t want to stop listening.
One of my favorite parts of Diane’s interview was when she said, “I read once, that this great physicist (who won a Nobel Prize) said that every day when he got home, his Dad asked him not what he learned in school but, ‘Did you ask any great questions today?‘ I always thought, what a beautiful way to educate kids. That we can be excited by their questions- not by our answers, and whether or not they can repeat our answers.” — Diane Sawyer
Mind. BLOWN.
I LOVE that, don’t you? “That we can be excited by their questions- not by our answers and whether or not they can repeat our answers.”
I felt lucky to have tuned in just seconds before she said it. What a great reminder to be intentional about experiencing the wonder that goes quietly rides along with teaching and learning from each other. Sharon Salzberg once wrote, “Curiosity broadens our world and opens our hearts. It is a way to shift out of being on automatic pilot, so that we can see a situation, a person, or an emotion with fresh eyes”. Here’s to seeing the extraordinary side of ordinary today! #AndEveryDay
Kevin and I have been together for 10 years now. We spent the first couple on the road together, the next few working together at a photography studio, and the last five building e-businesses that have simultaneously Grown and Humbled us in ways we never could’ve imagined. All that to say, we’ve spent a lot of time together. So as you can imagine, we’ve covered almost every topic of discussion you can think of. But it wasn’t until we started talking about turning the two of us, into a three of us (through adoption), that we started to think/talk about how we’d parent a child.
(Kevin, and our neighbor, fishing down the street)
We’ve talked a lot about which parts of our own parent’s parenting styles we want to incorporate into our personal parenting style, and I’m sure it goes without saying that we’ll learn the most about how to best parent our child when we actually become parents, but in honor of my serendipitous satellite-streamed brush with Diane Sawyer this weekend, I thought it would be fun to open up a discussion about your favorite parenting tips and techniques today. If you have any words of wisdom you’d like to share with the folks reading this post, we’d love to hear them! (Mom G, Mom P, and Aunt Chriss- that means you, too!)
PS- For pics between posts, join us over on Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram!
Play with your kids! Seriously, get down on the floor with them and play as if you were both kids, too! I have experienced what happens when you do that and it is awesome!
P.S. I can’t wait til you get to start!!
Great post. I have three kids, two of whom are autistic & one with learning disabilities. My oldest, & only girl, just turned 16. I spent years trying to control & fix everything. What I am, have finally learned, is first, it goes by way too quickly, second, “It is, what it is & just let it be. Appreciate & acceptance. Don’t forget to have fun. No matter how tough it can be, acceptance, appreciate & fun makes for a great life.
Many blessings on your journey.
Erin
You are your child’s greatest advocate and sometimes their voice. Speak up and be inspired and follow your gut. Get over your own insecurities (this is hard one!) and follow your gut. School, friends, family, sports, whatever — have their back. Let them fight their own battles, let them make mistakes and let them pay the consequences, but always, ALWAYS, have their back. Most importantly, make sure they know it. 🙂
I was a young mom (19) and had no ideal what I was doing. (It isn’t like there was an instructional manual, haha) All I knew there was this little person depending on me for everything. I was raised in a very VERY dysfunction home. I knew I didn’t want that for my daughter. For me, I basically did the opposite of what I had been raised with. I was always honest with my daughter. I am sure I could have been more patient. I have regrets. I have apologized to my daughter about things that I thought I did wrong. However, she assured me I was a great mom 🙂 My daughter and I are very close (I mean we practically grew up together) She is almost 27, never EVER in any kind of trouble (she’s a little mouthy at times but she gets that honestly, haha), she graduated HS, attended college, she is married, and employed full time. No kids yet and they are in the process of buying their first home. I must have done something right
My advice-Always let your child know you love them unconditionally. It is ok to make mistakes–just own up to them. Let them know they can talk to you about ANYTHING–you may not agree with their choices but you will always be supportive. That you AREN’T perfect and you don’t expect them to be either. Let them know there is more to life than success and success is is different for each person.Embrace their individuality. That beauty comes from with, an ugly personality is just an ugly person! Teach them to value a sense of humor! Teach them it is ok to be strong and independant but to not be afraid to ask for help when needed. The biggest piece of advice-is to make sure they take time to take care of themselves. That sometimes it is ok to put yourself first. Because is you aren’t strong and healthy- you can’t be strong and healthy for your family.
I am thankful I was blessed with such an amazing daughter. She is my pride, my joy and my heart. She has made me laugh, cry, shout with joy and screech with anger–I would not change a second of it. It has been the hardest job I have ever had. But I would gladly walk through the bowels of hell if it meant she was in my life. I am proud to call her my daughter and more proud to claim her as a friend
Best wishes to you and Kevin on the most amazing journey of your life!
These are the most important things I’ve learned about parenting: listen with your eyes AND your ears so your child has your full attention, say yes more than you say no, talk with them and not to them, let them fail, and tell them evey day that you love them, even if they drew on the wall, pulled the cat’s tail, or wrecked the car! Being a parent is a journey with a few (a lot of?) bumps along the path. What counts most is whom you travel with and that you hold hands along the way. My children are 17, 23 and 27 and they fill my life with immeasurable joy.
“The decision to have a child is momentous. It is forever to have a child go walking around outside your body.” [Elizabeth Stone] When I ask any of my seven grown children what is the most important thing they learned growing up, almost to a person they say “roots and wings”. They always knew whatever they tried, they had a soft landing place. While a parent may not always like their children’s ‘actions’, they need to be assured that for it-you will not love them less!
As you expect, you will learn most of your skills “by the seat of your pants,” as you love and nuture your child. I would encourage you two, however, to seek out a STEP (Systematic Training for Effective Parenting) class in your area. Usually facilitated through a church or school, the skills taught will teach you communication methods used from toddlerhood, through adolescence, teenage and even adult years. The most important skills I learned initially (and still use today) were: Always use “I” messages; never “You.” Instead of, “You shouldn’t / musn’t / can’t / won’t” etc., I learned to say, “We don’t [do whatever the offending behavior was]; or “I don’t like it when you ….” By the same token, “I really LOVE IT when you ….”
The other was what is called reflective listening. Instead of asking a little child “why” something, we would say to a crying child, “You seem sad” or “upset” or “angry,” and continue to reflect whatever emotion they are exhibiting until they can be coaxed to giving up the real reason for their tears. Tattling was always a pet peeve of mine and, whenver one of mine would come to me witha complaint that someone had hit, or grabbed, etc., I learned to say, “What happened just before he/she hit, grabbed, etc.” I believe anything parents can do to foster a positive self-image (that means private, not public, discipline, even if it means a quick walk to a restroom or back to the car), and to encourage mutual respect (allowing a child to express how he/she feels about the discipline being meted out by the parent, and giving an age-appropriate child a say-so in the discipline) will not only benefit the child, but will benefit all those who encounter that child during his/her lifetime. And it will certainly cement the bond between the parent and child. Just know this, you two wonderful young people, the very, very best part of your life is just about to begin. Every year, when I send birthday cards to my two (ages 34 and 38), I write, “I wish you were just born today, so we could do this all over again.” And I mean it with all my heart.
My son is now 31 and has a son of his own. However, once a mom always a mom. So my prayer all of his life (and continues to this day) is this:
“Lord, please help me to be the kind of mother that my child needs me to be at this moment in time.”
the Gospel and because of the Gospel- grace. and grace. and more grace.
My mother in law recently gave my husband and I some good advice. The first bit of advice was “talk to your children calmly, and they will speak calmly” (advice given during our son’s recent “whiny stage”), The second, “make sure and tell him he is a good boy, children believe what they hear”. Not earth shattering advice by any means, but something about the simplicity of both remains with me each day.
Best of luck to you both on your journey! 🙂
As a mother of three (15,13, 8) one of my “parenting tools” that I have been using since my kiddos were babies is setting expectations- BEFORE we enter a situation. Rather it be entering a store and NOT being asked to buy something, no touching, etc. has carried over into how to act at friends, school, grades, etc. as they have gotten older. It lets them know what is expected of them and sets boundaries for them is a way that makes it easy for them to succeed. It’s easier to behave if you know what your mom and dad are wanting from you!!
let them experience life–the good, the bad, the ugly, dont try to fix everything for them. Let them experience disappointment when they didnt give their best effort, sadness for a loss, embarassment for the “oops in life”, shame for bad behavior, pride in thier own accomplishments, callused hands for hard work, compassion for others who are hurting, joy in the simpler things in life, except responsibility for own actions, appreciation for justice, honesty, the beauty of creation & teach them to see & value others as God does.
1. Be intentional – LISTEN more than you talk
2. See them through eyes of DELIGHT – everyday – all day
3. Natural consequences are the best teachers.
4. Love, Love, Love
5. Laugh, Laugh, Laugh
6. The time they are at their worst and say “go away” is the time they need you more than ever – BE THERE! They slam the door – stand beside it and say I will never leave you, we are in this together and we will figure it out together.
7. Forget mistakes – remember successes
8. Remember your main “job” as a parent is to help your child find their “uniqueness” “purpose” “voice” – and have the wings to soar with it and make the world a better place.
Since my 10 year old was sitting next to me while I read this I asked him if he asked any great questions today at school and he said yes! He said he asked if he could go to the bathroom and if he had to do his worksheet with a partner. Lol! He must have not understood the “great” part. I think the one thing I strive for is to have mutual respect for each other. It sounds simple, but it really makes everything else fall into place.
“It is not what you do for your children but what you have taught them to do for themselves that will make them successful human beings.” ~ Ann Landers
Such wonderful comments! Mine may repeat some of them:
– Be present. I see too many parents who practice what I call “lazy parenting,” ignoring their children running around instead of spending time with them to help them learn good behavior.
– Give them tools. Teach them how to handle their emotions, how to deal with success as well as failure, how to be still and access their inner stillness when needed. How to notice the littlest of things.
– Notice them. Be aware of mood shifts. If something feels off, trust your instincts as a parent.
– Instead of focusing on punishment for bad behavior, focus on helping them learn how to change their behavior. Punishment alone doesn’t give them the tools they need to behave differently.
– Eat together. Go outside and play together. Get down on the floor with them. Give them your attention and teach them how to give you theirs.
– Make sure they interact with people of every age, from the very old to the very young. Also, interact with people of all different faiths, social groups, races, etc. Let them see that we are all more alike than we are different.
May your journeys be blessed with love.
Not a parent, but I do get a ton of insight from my brother and sister in law as they have two little ones, two and four.
They both do A LOT of reverse psychology with the kids. If she wants a pic of them and they have no interest she tells them no smiles only unhappy faces and before you know it, they’re hamming it up in front of the camera. When they went through the “terrible twos” with a meltdown, both my brother and his wife would look a their son and say “let me know when you are done” and walk away. If she wants them to clean their plate, my sister in law will tell them “you won’t be able to eat all that” and they do and then brag at how good they did and get praised in return. All in all, they are extremely well behaved FUN and LOVING and SHARING little ones. They’ve never been spanked and when my sister in law has had it with something she takes them one by one and makes them look at her in the eye and she tells them what she needs and it always ends with an “I’m sorry” or a hug and an “I love you”.
They’re special little boys to me and I am filled with love and joy every time I see them. Cherish these moments……..life goes way too fast – xoxo
There are as many different ways to parent a child as there are personalities in the world, you will find and grow to trust that unique rhythm you discover as a family. And ask for help if you need it…us moms don’t do this enough. God Bless you
My grown kids (I have 6, last two still at home), tell me the part they appreciated the best about how we parented them was our ability to just say “I’m sorry” when needed as well as “I don’t know”. ‘Cause most of the time you really don’t. They liked that we didn’t pretend to be perfect.
They’ve also mentioned that staying ‘friends’ with us thru high school instead of hating us as per the usual, was hugely facilitated by how we set the limits, then explained why. Instead of just laying down the law. I should say my kids are awesome, but we’ve had our struggles too. They aren’t perfect, but they were perfect for us.
Forgive the indulgence, but I wrote and recorded a song for my first born’s wedding day, and reminded him in it what I used to tell him (and his siblings) all the time….I was so thankful they were given to ME, and not someone else. Here’s a link to the song/collage if you want to hear it: http://cottageinstincts.blogspot.com/2010/03/so-i-wrote-and-recorded-this-little.html
PS: NEVER wish you were anything other than what you are. You are a bright, animated shining star….and your voice will be the most beautiful sound your child will ever hear. 🙂
My motto was: I love my children and I want others to love (like) them too! They were good kids and now are great parents to our 4 grandchildren. Their patience amazes me.
Check out Love and Logic parenting books and videos!
http://www.loveandlogic.com/
No babies in our house yet, but I had to write in to say how incredibly beautiful and poignant that quote is. Absolutely love it.
My piece of advice? Don’t blink. If you do, that baby, that toddler, that preschooler…will suddenly be in his/her thirties…all grown up! No matter what the situation is, remember that this, too, shall pass, so enjoy the good times, don’t make the bad times about yourself, and love your children!
My advise? Don’t blink! My babies that were born yesterday, are now 28,30, & 32. It goes by FAST! (by the way, my adult daughter lives in Navarre Bch). AND
Label your pictures….you never think you wont be able to tell which kid you are looking at until you identify them this way…. “It must be Bobby, because we got the blue sofa when he was a baby.”
Dont say “my child would never do that”, because they will.
If you want an easy stress free life, dont have children.
Children will bring you the greatest joys, but also the greatest source of worries……and it doesnt get any easier when they are adults! ENJOY THE RIDE!
hahaha. I hadn’t even read Kim’s “dont blink” response, until AFTER I had written the same thing!
I’m a 7th grade middle school teacher and my favorite part of teaching are the questions my students ask. We OFTEN get off on tangents and wonder “how the heck did we get here”? But, it is the kids that ask the questions that I tell my two adult children or my friends about. It is those kids who challenge me with questions (that I sometimes have to look up right then) that have kept me teaching for 36 years.
The quieter we speak…. the better chance they will listen.
Dinner time is family time: What was the best thing about your day….worst? etc.
Kids like to know what to expect about the days plans…share and plan together~ each of you with a list.
Wow! Lots of advice–as the mom of 3…a teen, a tween and a 7 yo boy, all I can offer up is two things… BE CONSISTENT – Parenting is not a “fair” thing. It is a consistency thing. So do what you say and say what you’ll do.
And EXPECT THE BEST OF YOUR CHILDREN – this means in all things. It doesn’t mean your child is perfect (though they all are), it means you expect them to do their best–their most excellent work/behavior/attitude. We have found when we expect excellence from our kids, they deliver beyond our wildest dreams.
Leave everything else up to the Lord and you’ll be fine.
Love your blog—you’ll be super duper parents!
Be consistent. Practice natural and logical consequences. You and Kev be a team. Have fun; laugh a lot. And last but not least, pray, pray, pray!! (I’ve got a daughter 27 and a son 24 and I still pray, pray, pray!!)
Beautiful post! There is a lot of great advice coming in. My two cents: Since you’re lucky enough to be parenting with your partner, remember to look to each other’s best qualities when you’re in need. Learn to balance each other, and hold hands while you enjoy the ride!
I’m not a mother, so I don’t have specific parenting advice, but I have great parents, and the three things they did in raising me that have had the most impact are: 1) Living their faith daily; 2) Reading to me daily and encouraging me to read; 3) Constantly having music playing in the house and car. These instilled in me a lifelong commitment to faith, reading and music.
What a wonderful post! One I desperately needed to read today. My husband and I are raising 3 daughters ages 18, 13 and 9…soon to be 10. We are going through some growing pains lately and I come to your blog for a bit of a “heart jumpstart”. We always asked our girls to tell us 3 things they learned that was good when they got into the car after school. It gave us a chance for them to tell us something instead of answering “Nothing” to the what did you learn today question.
The best piece of advice I ever got for parenting was this. You will screw up. You will screw up bad. It does not mean it is the end of the world. It means we are human and fallible and things will happen that will not be our finest parenting moments. LEARN from them and apologize to your kids when you do screw up. Make it a REAL apology, not one that comes with a but. Your kids will learn about humanity and true apologies and how to forgive.
I wish you all the best with your adoption journey. Whatever child is placed with you will be very blessed indeed!
I have this little quote, cut out from a newspaper, that I saved before my first child was born – she is now 25 years old……The quote says “Before I became a Mother, I had a hundred theories on how to bring up children . Now I have 7 children , and only one theory – Love them, especially when they least deserve to be loved.” Written by Kate Samperi and published in the Los Angeles Times at least 25 years ago !
I am the mother of an eleven year old son. I never thought I would be the kind of parent that I am. I never thought that my entire world and thought and action would revolve around my child. I never thought it would be hard to have him go to daycare, or school, or let a coach take over and tell him what to do. I ended up working half time because I couldn’t let other people get more time with him than I got. My life might not be the best balanced, but I know that when he is old enough to be out with his friends without me, I will know that I made the most of his childhood years so that we have a strong bond (and my husband too).
BREATHE – when your little one is upset, hold him/her close and take deep breaths. It helps them calm, and it will help you too!
DON’T JUMP – when they fall and you are sure they are hurt, stand back and wait to see their reaction before you jump. Quite often, they cry because we make them think they should.
LISTEN & ANSWER – my son asks amazing questions. Quite often I don’t know the answer right away, but when I don’t, we either ask someone else or look it up. I have received quite an education this way!
LOTS OF VIDEO – like I need to say this, but it’s so awesome to watch video from days gone by. It’s amazing how wuickly they change and how quickly you forget some of their little sayings.
And lastly, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out and everything is going predictably smooth, it all changes!
Enjoy this stage of your life! “Expecting” is so much fun because you just don’t know what path your life will take next!
Just enjoy each moment. Really. My only child is now 31 and when I think back to all the times that I felt busy, distracted, etc., I regret that I didn’t just live in the moment and enjoy each one and not let other distractions steal some of those times away from me!
What a sweet moment..thank you for sharing it with all of us. Isn’t it so cool that we can be touched by the “ahh;s” in other’s lives..God made it so.
My son is 24, and it still seems so special when we have those moments..my best parenting tip is to pray through it all, the good, the bad and the ugly. When they are teenagers and hating you. and you don’t like them much either ..God is our heart’s refuge. who leads us through.
Telling my son occasionally that “I love him more than” …is a tradition we have shared for years…( ie all the postcards being mailed that day in all the world while he was in South Africa) is my way of letting him know he is one of the most special blessings in my life..
I believe God picks us for them and them for us…
So excited for your time to come.
WOW….what a great quote from Diane. Thanks for sharing that. I can’t wait to see motherhood on you!!!
Pray… for your child and with your child. Never miss an opportunity to tell your child about our heavenly Father and the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Tell the story of the amazing salvation by grace through faith. This is what is truly important; the things of eternity.
‘Read Aloud’ and often!! I always thought that when as parents we are told to read to our children regularly, that it had to do with getting them interested in books so that it would carry on into their lives!! I thought my work was done when both my children had learnt to read themselves! Tick!! But then I picked up the book ‘The Read Aloud Handbook’ – Jim Trelease, and wished I had read it decades ago!! Must read!! It brings about a bonding experience like no other, as you share with your child experiences they might otherwise never know, expanding their language and comprehension skills, which will hold them in good stead as they enter their school and life!!
It seems there is a common denominator in the responses – talk, listen!! What better way than when reading!! Children ask a lot of question when you are reading together! It’s important to be patient and allow for it!!
Just be there, listen to your child, they’ll let you know what they’re thinking or need from you. Never yell unless they are in danger of hurting themselves. Make sure they feel safe, if they can’t sleep or they’re scared, be with them, don’t leave them alone. Build trust and never lie. If you say you’re going to be there at 4:00pm, be there a little early. Trust is number 1, as they get older, they will come to you for the big decisions in life. Celebrate God, lead by example. Also, be honest about your shortcomings and failures. It makes you human and approachable. Don’t make fun of them, they will make mistakes and feel embarrassed. Be fun, smile a lot, and hug and kiss your child(ren) often. Oh and it’s VERY important to say no, and be consistent!
Layla, you will be an exceptional mother. You have a mother’s heart. 🙂
What a lovely post! Enjoyed every word and picture. My one piece of advice would be to read to your children. No matter how hold they are, read to them. As they get a bit older, read things that will challenge their mind, make them as those great questions. My two daughters are now 22 and 24 and rarely are they without a book (or Kindle!). Rarely had to deal with I’m bored when they were younger, because they always knew they could loose themselves in a good book. It has made them curious enough about some subjects to explore them as adults. Things like travel and career! Children do love the sound of our voices and reading to them provides a sense of security and closeness. We spent many an afternoon with a snuggle and a good book. Even now my daughters will snuggle in when I am reading and ask “what-cha readin”!!
I am a mother of 3 sons all 4 years apart-planned that, too. I don’t really believe that parenting can be taught-you rely on instincts mostly. How to diaper, feed, burp can be taught, of course. But you will know what to say and do because you have opened up your heart to accept a child, the love is there! Trust your feelings
and be in the moment. Of course I listened to other Moms and I got tons of info from other parents but I knew what to do and it felt right. I do believe you have all it takes to be loving parents and will enjoy this journey-as you will find out, it isn’t always easy but so worth it. I think listening is key! I know God will bless you!
Your post is a good reminder for all of us who have kids. You are a good parent already!
My thoughts…..spend half as much money and twice as much time with your kids. Works every time!
The best parenting advice that I ever got was from my mom who had nine kids and told me, “never do anything for your kids that they can do for themselves”. When we were old enough, we all cooked, did laundry, walked ourselves to school, packed our own lunches and did the dishes. We put our own clean sheets on our beds and put away our clean clothes. It definitely made me a more confidant wife and mother!
Here’s the advice I grew up with (thanks, Mom!): Remember, when you’re single, you answer to no one. When you’re married, you need to put him first, ahead of yourself, and you should come last. The COUPLE is what’s important. When you have children, the children have to come first, the family second (the family takes the place of the couple), he comes third, and you come last. Of course, no matter what, God does come FIRST, but I’ve never forgotten these words, and the best part? I found someone who grew up with the same shining example so we have never once disagreed about the importance of our families, our children…
He was married before, and the two of us have always chosen to put his children first. This is why now they are the children of my heart, even though I didn’t give birth to them.
I am the mother of a wonderful 12 year old boy, who very soon will be a man. I have made many mistakes over the last 12 years. No regrets, just mistakes. Making mistakes is apart of parenting. I have found that the most important part of parenting is listening. Often parents think their kids are not listening to them, but trust me, they hear every word. Since my son was small I have always told him that with enough hard work and determination he can accomplish anything. Recently, I decided to open my own business. I was sitting at the table working diligently on my “master plan” lol, when my son walks up and puts his arms around me and says; “with enough hard work and determination you can accomplish anything.” That was a defining moment in my life as a parent. They listen, they love, they seek discipline, they seek acceptance, they are miracles of God and we have been given the task of living up to the task of parenting a child of God. It is a task I have failed at times and exceeded in others, but it is the most wonderful part of my life.
dear kevin and layla , when the time becomes that you become parents and a family of three , your life will change for ever for the better ,
my husband and i learnt that parenting does not come with a manual. there is no perfect way to do things but as the parents of two girls ages 13 and 10 we would not have it any other way.
the most precious time for us is dinner time when our girls recount they days events – oh the detail they provide , the laughter that explodes around our table – the line of communication we foster by encouraging them to talk about their day and in turn they now ask us what our day was like ,… get the picture – they look forward to this family time together and save things to say .
dinner around the table , with no technology , completley priceless !!!!!
best of luck with the adoption
gg
Really, really love this. So beautiful.
I loved that interview. Did you hear her when she paraphrased Leonard Cohen saying, “In the broken places, the light shines through”? That struck a chord with me! I had that written on my board for months. It reminded me that while I’m inherently broekn (aren’t we all? :)), good will come up it.
oh you guys …you will LOVE being parents and you will be AMAZING parents – because you are planning, thinking, & being aware of what it means/looks like/feels like to be a parent.
I use Diane’s quote of asking what good questions did you ask today? & we also ask our boys what mistakes did you make today? Letting our boys know its okay to make mistakes, its okay to mess up and what did we learn from these lessons? “Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow” is a fun quote too. Just takes the pressure off of these little ones – and to remind them parents & kids make mistakes all the time!! And it’s okay!!!
Out of the mouths of babes!! So precious those little minds are.