Do you ever wonder what your parenting is doing to your kids? Will they need therapy later? Should you be saving up for that NOW?

I do. I wonder about this all the time...

I also attempt to pick up on the positive things I'm doing, that impact my kids in a good way. One of my main goals, as a mom (and educator), is to model learning for my children. It's so important to my husband and I that our kids "learn how to learn."

Sometimes I forget how much my early childhood background (23+ years) has affected my daily speech; how much it trickles into everything I do and the way I raise my kids. Yesterday, something neat happened that made me think, "Ah, ha! This is something I AM doing right!"

I was sitting outside with my two youngest kids (4 and 2). My daughter, age 4, brought a small item over to me:

This item came from a "do-it-yourself" board game - she had colored the sections a few days prior.

She said, "Mom. Spin the arrow." (The arrow has since fallen off but it was there yesterday)

I spun the arrow.

She said, "What number is that?"

I replied, "It's a two."

She said, "Spin again. Now - what number is THAT?" 

I replied, "It's a three."

She said, "No, mom. That's a four. Good try, though."

Ha. I said, "I was testing you!"

She said, "Oh, okay. Well, spin again."

After we got through each number she said, "Now. Are those NUMBERS or LETTERS?"

I answered, "They are numbers."

She moved on...

"What shapes are those in this corner? How about these shapes? And what about those ones? Hearts, crowns, flowers and diamonds - good!"

I sat there thinking, "Really? My four-year-old is asking me this many questions about one little toy? There's this many things to learn from something so small?"

Perhaps...

The little things we do daily to teach our kids, matter! By golly - they stick.

ABOUT the Author:

Shara Lawrence-Weiss is the owner of Mommy Perks, Personal Child Stories, Early Childhood News and Resources and Kids Perks. She and her husband co-own Pine Media. Shara has a background in education, early childhood, nanny work, published freelance, marketing and special needs.