Do you feel rewarded?

While the kids were in school, I got some reading done, 3 discussion questions and wrote up all assignment due dates in my calendar.  Non school, I washed/dried/folded 2 loads of laundry.  I felt accomplished today.

I went to pick the kids up and one of their teachers, Ms. Kelly, was eager to speak with me.  She started out saying that I should get the mom of the year award.  I looked at her cockeyed.  Me?  No-way!  So I listened.  She went on and told me that my kids are so well behaved, have very good manners, listen and eat well.  What?  My kids?  We do instill all those traits to them every single day.  I feel like we harp on them consistently to use their manners, say yes ma'am, no ma'am, please, thank you, your welcome, etc.... If someone asks you to do something, you do it without fuss.  At home, it gets stressful because I feel like that's all I do all day long, so I wasn't seeing it.  They see it though and they appreciate kids that do what they're told and using their manners.  I'm glad my kids are 2 of them.

She also said that she likes that I pack them well balanced lunches and that the kids actually enjoy them.  I guess some kids don't eat what their parents send and some parents just send snacks.  What?  Snacks!  Now if we can get Sterling to eat her sandwich with her meal.  She's never been a fan, but one day, one day she will eat that sandwich!  She told the kids at lunch today that she wants their mommy to pack her lunch, lol!  I guess they liked that idea.

I guess it's time to sit back and notice that "training" kids does go rewarded.  It makes my heart happy to hear such praises about my children.

I do also like to hear the areas we need to work on.  Such as sharing :)

Xander has been in a hitting/pushing phase with Sterling.  I harp on him to be sweet to her.  I go on and ask him if he likes to be pushed or hit?  Of course not.  So then I tell him that it's not nice to hit or push and that he hurts that person's feelings and that it's not allowed.  We're working on it.  He doesn't do this at school, yet, but it's still something we are working on.

So maybe when I'm feeling overwhelmed and harping for them to do something a different way, maybe I should sit back and realize they know what I'm trying to say.  They're just showing me in a way I'd much rather them not.  Ms. Kelly's words were just what I needed to hear.  Parenting is hard, much harder than I ever anticipated, but I wouldn't trade it for anything!