I'm getting old...

I had an amazing/humbling moment last night.. I was on Facebook checking out my brother's page when I saw someone's name in his feed. I thought to myself "Self, that name is the same as the name of a little girl in the 1st grade classroom I helped in my senior year of high school.."

See, when I was in high school I thought I wanted to be a high-school English teacher. I LOVE literature, knew I wanted to teach, and truly thought it was the best fit for me. As a senior I signed up for a class called "School Aged Child". This class consisted of going to an elementary school for 2 periods a day 2 times a week. The other days were spent learning about child development and finding ways to implement what we had learned in the classroom. Great class!

After my first week in this 1st grade classroom I knew EXACTLY what my calling was. I wanted to be a teacher! I could feel it in every fiber of my being. Now, back to this little girl. She was amazing. Her family had just adopted her from another country that summer and she spoke zero English. Talk about a difficult situation! She was as cute as a button, I can still remember exactly what she looked like. She had a very difficult time adjusting to her new life (surprise), but we took to each other. I ended up taking the class independent study second semester and stayed with this class the entire year. I could not believe the strides this little girl made. By the end of the year she was fluently reading, writing, and speaking English. Wow!

Yes, that same girl is a grade younger than my brother, in the same school, and now Facebook friends. Small world, no?

What I have learned about giving your children independence.. AKA Let it go already!

My children have taught me countless things. One of these things that I wanted to share was how to allow your preschooler to gain independence. When William was just over a year old I became pregnant with our second child. Because of a very difficult pregnancy I was on bed rest for 3 months, then Owen was born 3 months early. Because of all of this, with the help of my family and wonderful husband, William learned how to be fairly independent.

Now at almost 3 I can't believe the things he has mastered. Sometimes I still want him to be a little baby and let me do things for him, but alas, the independent will is strong in him! (As I write this he walked into the bathroom without a word and went potty) His desire to be independent has taught me SO much! I have learned that it's okay that he doesn't do things perfectly. If he puts his shoes on the wrong feet, his socks on inside-out, or his pants on backwards it's okay! He's allowed to make these mistakes.

I see many parents insisting on fixing these little errors, and sometimes I find myself doing it. It's a constant reminder that it's okay for our children to make mistakes. It's part of learning and growing up. Mainly, this time in William's life has told me to just let the little things go, and laugh along with him. :)