I am so proud of my 11 year old (almost 12) daughter. She has been very blessed with many gifts and abilities. She is very artistic, very athletic, and very smart. She is also very beautiful inside and out. I know, I know, I am her mother and that's what I am suppose to think! However, this opinion has been affirmed in many different arenas. One place where I worry about her is in her confidence. Even though she has all of this going for her, she sometimes acts shy and very conscience of other people's opinions. She also tries to be "perfect" which was a "red flag" to me because I just want her to please God and not man. I would not have said "wisdom" was one of her strong suits either, but then again, she's eleven! However, she really surprised me the other day! We were in the car and she was filling me in on the latest unit in her PE class. They were learning about cheerleading. She said she was enjoying it, but then she said, "You know Mom, I am really not very good at it." With trepidation, I asked, "How do you feel about that?" She said, "Well, I am actually kind of glad to be 'bad' at something because everyone always says I am perfect at stuff." Wow! I was so proud of her for not bursting into tears because she wasn't the "best!" I really saw wisdom in her statement because she is learning to be herself and not try to please everyone else! It's my blog, and I can brag if I want to!!!
Family
November 12, 2008
July 26, 2008
Babies and Preteens
I just recently returned from a trip to Washington DC where I got to meet my brand new niece! She is so precious. This is my sister's first baby, and there is quite a spread between my kids' ages and hers. My youngest is 6 and my oldest is pushing 12. When I was in DC, it occurred to me that there is little difference in the reaction of a newborn and a preteen when it comes to being dissatisfied. Although, my preteen daughter is really very sweet most of the time, I've really recognized the raging hormone stage of her life is coming to the forefront. My niece simply cries when she is unhappy or wants something. So does my preteen daughter. Sigh. I remember thinking that when my sister got pregnant, I'd be able to bask in the glory of being past the "baby" phase of my life. Oh well! I guess we regress!
