Things I say to my kids every day (In addition to I love you)

No matter what, every day I find myself saying these six things to my kids.

 

1. “You are smart.”

Plenty of other people will tell them they are cute, or funny, or like their outfits, I want to make sure they KNOW they are smart. And, I’m not lying to them, they are smart, each one of ‘em. There’s no doubt in my mind, that one day they’ll all be smarter than me (and their mom 😉 ).


2. “What was the best thing you did at school today?”

I used to say how was school? But, as you could probably guess, the results received from that answer were pretty minimal. “Great, good, fine.” Having them choose one particular thing they liked, at least makes them think a little bit. Sometimes we even ask our kids their “good parts and their hard parts” of the day.


3. “Sleep makes you big and strong.”

I’m not sure if this is a scientific fact, but it’s probably true. My kids all want to grow up to be big and strong, but they also want to stay awake 24 hours a day. When they whine and argue about not wanting to go to bed at night, I tell them, “Sleep makes you grow.”


4. “Just go…find something to do.”

I realize that, as a full-time SAHD, you might think it’s my job to entertain my kids from birth until the end of time. Well, I don’t exactly see it that way. I happily play with my kids, read books to them and take them on adventures, but there comes a point in the day, where they NEED to be able to do things on their own. Color, build with Lego blocks, anything…just give me some peace and quiet.


 

5. “The dog needs you.”

We have a dog. I did not necessarily want a dog, but we have a dog. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good pup, but in a way, he’s just one more living thing that needs my attention during the day. Fed, let out, his paws wiped before he’s let back in, his water filled up, exercised, his poop cleaned up in the back yard, the list goes on and on. First Born was INSISTENT that when we got a dog she would help take care of him, so I expect my kids (especially her) to help with the dog. They are getting good at feeding him twice a day (they were getting TOO good at feeding him for a while, so we had to put him on a doggie diet.) They also let him out to potty and back in, but more times than not, they FORGET to wipe his paws.


 

6. “Don’t Touch That!”

Whether it’s touching a hot pan in the kitchen, their own private parts (also in the kitchen), an outlet, a spinning fan, a stranger’s dog, or gum on the sidewalk, my kids are going through a touchy-touchy phase. They must touch stuff.


I’m sure there are many more I could add to the list, but these were the first few that came to mind. What are some of the things you say to your child every day?

-Pete

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