What my 6-year old taught me about challenges-Growing Girls Tip#6

March 12, 2016June 17, 2016 growingwithjennyLeave a comment

I remember overhearing this conversation between Catie and Jianna when they were in 2nd and 1st grade. Catie was 6 years old and Jianna was 5.

Catie : What’s your favorite subject?

Jianna : I like reading and language. It’s easy and fun.

Catie : Easy is boring. I like AP and Math. Hard is fun. You don’t learn anything if it’s easy.

Catie said it like it was the most normal thing any 6-year old would say. As far as I can remember, we have been raising both of them in the same way. We could not have changed anything so quickly with them being only a year and a month apart. So I was surprised to hear Catie speak about challenges the way she did, especially when my thoughts resonated more with Jianna’s.

A Lesson in Allowing Kids to Make Mistakes- growing girls tip#4

July 28, 2015July 28, 2015 growingwithjenny3 Comments

Let them fall.

The other day, my daughter’s caretaker approached me after dropping them off at school. She was visibly upset, to the point that she looked like she was about to cry. She asked me if she could be assigned to do household chores instead of watching over the kids.

After probing, she explained that she missed packing my daughter’s books, and she felt guilty for leaving it behind. She was afraid that the incident would upset me. Personally, I was quite surprised by her willingness to accept responsibility even when she wasn’t to blame.