How to teach your child?

How do you teach a child to love life and to have a happy heart?  Is this something that is already programmed into their little souls?  Some 5 year olds worry so much and others just run with the wind with no worries. 

From thinking back to ages I can remember, it seems I was always ready for the “next” phase.  I remember my dad genuinely begging me to just enjoy where I was in life.  The next stage was going to be good, but life gets more complicated.  How do you let a child just be free-spirited? 

So funny, because having siblings it’s interesting to see how each child is different and alike all being raised from the same parents. How much is the child?  How much is the parent?  And how much is the Maker?

I prayed that Lola would have a happy heart.  It was my authentic desire for her in life.  I want her to have a happy heart, have faith in Jesus, in the goodness of people, and love me back. ;)  I want her to find her own truth and be comfortable in her own skin.  I want her to live without fear, without excessive worry, without holding back.  I want her to find humor in the small things and in the big things.  I hope she finds her passions and holds on to them, explores them, and lives with them being a big part of her life. 

I now know- that at the good ol’ age of 26, you really have just had the chance to really find yourself.  Sure, some do earlier, and some do much, much later.  My sister feels the weight of the world on her at times to hurry and figure out college, degrees, and life.  It’s ridiculous we expect this of teenagers.  How did Mary have Jesus at such a young age?

I have learned in life I am very passionate about sewing, creative thinking, textiles, my family and my babies.  That would have been really helpful at the age of 18 to know that would be my interest.    

I love that things that were once so uncool for kids to participate in are now being looked at as hip.  I certainly plan to offer Lola a variety of outlets so she can help herself more easily discover what she is good at and what she enjoys.  I want her to think outside of the box.

I wish sewing lessons were more easily assessable when I was younger.  Think how more I could do now?  I am starting my own sewing lessons for girls next week in my home and really look forward to it.  I love when people take what they are passionate about and turn it into a career.  The famous quote from my dad from someone else- “Do what you love, and you’ll never work again.”  I love that.  And I love “When there is a will, there is a way.”  I think both of those quotes will carry larger meaning later in life. 

I am about to go get Lola and she is at Nonna’s.  She is only 2, but has quickly learned the art, the fun, and the memories baking creates.  She pulls up her chair to Nonna’s counter and sweetly demands “pies.”  She loves that Nonna lets her make a mess, have her hands in the homemade pie crust, pinch it pretty, and add the toppings.  What if my child has discovered early on she wants to bake for a living by something as simple and sweet as Nonna making pies with her. 

It’s little things like this that really help create a child.  She loves the piano, she loves baking, she likes painting and coloring, she is good with her baby dolls, she loves basketball, she sings with such happiness…  I just love watching her decide what she wants to do next.  I always want to be able to afford her the opportunity to figure out what she loves. 

As I start sewing lessons, I always want to think of what Lola would like to start.  For Christmas, Clay and I want to find a nice, but used piano for the dining room and start working with her so we can let her do lessons at an early age.  I want her to feel the sky is the limit in life… does that start with piano lessons at an early age.  No.  But I do think it starts with a lot of love, letting her feel the freedom to be her, and an intent to help her discover new things she enjoys. 

Mom-daughter story. 

You know, my mother made me try out for cheerleading in 7th grade.  Of course, I was partly mad at her, yet I partly enjoyed working with the girl a little older than me because I thought she was pretty cool.  I didn’t make it.  And never tried out again.  I am sure I was terrible.  I don’t even like an aerobic step class because I can’t learn all those weird foot movements.  Did I think at age 12 my mom was crazy for making me do that dumb try-out?  You bet.  But now I know sometimes we moms may fail at guessing what our kids are going to love- but we gotta’ press to help them find their own passions.   We want passionate kids. We want passionate friends, spouses, communities. I could have wondered for years if I wish I would have given cheer a try and now I don’t.  I did, it wasn’t my thing, and I am grateful for that. 

I just love this age of 2.  I now wish I could freeze time and make her 2 forever for a while longer than a year.  It’s so fun to see their personalities develop.  Turns out as crazy and cute as Lola is at home and around the comfort of those she deeply loves, she is actually quite shy every where else.  It’s shocking every time I go out in public or around friends she doesn’t see on a regular basis- but it’s just her.  She’s shy.

Here is Lola at home a few days after her daddy’s birthday.  I just love this video.  She is so darn sweet natured.  It makes me want to buy her a real piano and little music book.  Play away Lola!  :)