A Child’s Valentine, February 15 Daily Reflection

My child's Valentine

He made it with a glue stick, kid scissors, a marker and tender love and care. The best part about this simple little valentine is that it is not perfect. His little hands tried so hard to cut that heart out just right. He centered the “I” and the” Love” but the “You” had to go up the heart because it just didn’t fit and that is the most precious part of this valentine. I love it when my children make me cards and drawings. I adore it when the stick people have no torso and are all legs, arms and no necks.  They try their best to get it just so and I love to see that it has been kid crafted and the lines are crooked. They have the rest of their lives to try to be perfect right now I just want them to be little.

It always drove me crazy when I went to Story Time at the local Libraries when my children were younger and moms would actually do the arts and crafts project for their children. I am not talking about children who could not color or scribble yet. I am talking about the moms that said “No, honey this goes here and that goes there. Oh, honey just let mommy do it for you.” That drove me nuts. How on earth is that child ever supposed to feel good about what they are doing if they never get to do it wrong to start with? Who cares if the nose is where the mouth should be when they are 3? Who cares if they color outside the lines when they are 4?

Kindergarten comes soon enough and your child will learn. I did not try to teach my children to read early. I read to them every day and they learned to love reading. My children are now way above average at reading and they didn’t start until almost 1st grade.

 As moms we compare and contrast our children with all the other children. Don’t get caught up in that trap. Once your children are grown you will regret that you did not love the scribbles and the zig zagged cutting methods. Our children have fewer and fewer years left for childhood in our culture. While they are children embrace their innocent and adorable nuances. One day they will be forced to color inside the lines and put the nose in the correct place. For now just smile, watch them grow and allow them to be children. Enjoy that not so perfect valentine because it may be the most perfect valentine you ever really receive.

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