Over the past week or two, many of us have ushered our babies off into the world as they embarked on their first day of kindergarten. As mothers and fathers, we’re left with an empty hand and a jumble of emotions.
We’re excited for our children and all they are about to see and do and learn, ecstatic that we have survived the baby and toddler years, and a bit sad and nostalgic for the early years that have flown so quickly by.
Of course, our babies aren’t truly gone and our job as a parent has only just begun. Maybe the hard part is just about to start. If only we could program their little heads with an instruction manual for how to move through the years without us there to protect them. Provide a guide for how to avoid any unnecessary emotional bumps, bruises and broken hearts.
Allison, who writes an entertaining, irreverent, honest and hilarious blog about her life with kids, summed it up nicely in a post she wrote for her blog, Motherhood WTF. “What I Wish He Knew” is a list of the advice she wishes she could tell her five-year-old as he goes off to school for the first time. With her permission, we’d like to share with you a few of our favorite words of her wisdom. We hope it’ll help you get started on creating a list of your own.
What advice would you add to the list? What do you wish your child would take to heart, remember throughout the years so that he’s a little wiser, a little stronger, a little bit more protected from all life will send his way?
Here’s what Allison would tell hers:
? Don’t exchange what you know in your heart for what you think others will find cool.
? Peer pressure is stupid, and anyone applying it is not worth your worry.
? Whatever it is that is breaking your heart today, I promise that it’s not that important. Let it go and move on.
? Your life is so long ahead of you. All of this daily drama is small in the big picture.
? Don’t let yourself be labeled or pigeon-holed. People will try. You can be as many different things as you want to be, and you can always change.
? It’s OK to be different.
? It’s OK to have a lot of friends. It’s OK to have a few.
? It’s OK to do and be whatever it is you want.
Start your list by sharing with us what you’d like to tell your child. We can’t wait to hear from you!
