What little things do you do that show you take great pride in your children?

[Wintercoffee]

I just love ironed clothes on children! (Mostly school uniform, not everyday clothes). I love neat plaits in their hair and always buff and shine their nails on a Sunday night after their bath.

What little things make you smile/take pride?

Nice hair

Oh and clean nails

Not of that!

I celebrate their achievements and allow them to express themselves and be who they want to be (within reason!).

Nice quality clean clothes, ones that are appropriate for kids like Boden I mean, not designer adult style clothes. Doing my daughter’s hair neatly (when she lets me!) Also cleaning their faces before we leave the house to go anywhere.

Oh and hearing them say please and thank you. I love love love good manners on a child.

Encourage good manners and respectful behaviour.

My younger DD can go from looking pristine leaving the house to dragged through a forest backwards by the end of a driveway so if you judge me on that you will be sorely disappointed.

I trust them.
I tell them how proud I am of them for doing their best, being kind & thoughtful etc.

I don't share their lives on social media.

I support them in their interests (not mine)

Finding ways to encourage him in his interests.
Sharing his interests - or at least listening to him talk about them, even if secretly they bore me!
Helping him learn how to take care of his skin and hair - he’s just hitting puberty.

Awww love hearing all these different things! Definitely encouraging their little personalities and letting them flourish in their own ways!

Definitely don’t judge messy hair/clothes etc? Only to be expected with young children! Shows they’re having a great time and learning!

A strange one ... but my child’s straight feet!

He was born with his feet facing the wrong way (talipes) and we have been through lots of plaster casts and 12 hours of wearing boots & metal bar a day.

It’s been tough at times - to keep putting them on when he’s in pain from blisters and it hurts me when he thrashes them around (making co-sleeping impossible and breastfeeding / illness more difficult than it was with my first born).

He passed his assessment at hospital this week with flying colours. We missed out on scheduled check ups due to Covid, so was a relief to know the treatment is working. Still a few more years of boots but it’s easier now.

Anyway, I’m feeling really proud today of my efforts and that it’s paid off!

Mine are older now but I loved how they looked when they had had a great day of play outdoors - so scuffed knees, muddy shorts, grass stains, sweaty hair.

And manners and kindness - I am always delighted when they are super polite in restaurants etc and show their caring side to friends.

When mine proves me wrong. He’ll say, mum, let me do this my way. And 9 times out of 10 it’s the right way. The 1 time it’s not I’m there to help him fix it

Awww you should be sooo proud! That’s a real accomplishment a lot of hard work and perseverance!!

@Wintercoffee

Awww you should be sooo proud! That’s a real accomplishment a lot of hard work and perseverance!!

@Lapsidasicle

First thought - going to their exhibits and ceremonies.

It's often a little thing on my part - an hour or two, especially now that my older kids are old enough to travel and do the work 90% without my involvement (10% mum admin for consent forms, occasional bursary forms, and similar).

Last week, we were at the launch event for an outdoor art exhibit my DS1 and DD1 were part of in so an hour+ standing around while they talk with others around the work, and then speeches. The way they beamed at being discussed as among 'the creators' and at showing it us all.

While there, the facilitator discussed their next exhibition (thankfully indoors) in a few weeks, and I kinda had a wistful thoughts of all the previous ones we've been to, how happy the kids are after a year of not having this, and a bit sad that, at nearly 17, my DS1 is soon aging out of the local youth projects and organizations he's been in - some since he was 5 - so we might be looking at last of these for him in the next year. I'm really hoping he gets at least one more SJA award ceremony in that time as he'd earned his Grand Prior's just before lockdown1, but hasn't yet gotten it.

He's just learnt where his toes and nose are 😀😀

Hes 15 months old and is super cute when he points them out, becauee he then claps himself afterwards.