• Oct. 27, 2009
I Am So Proud Of You
The other day another home school mom I know was sharing how saying I am so proud of you to her daughter had just lit up her daughters face. Her daughter positively glowed after hearing those words. Well it got me to thinking and I realized she is so right when she said we need to remember to tell our children we are proud of them.
I have been doing this with McKenna concerning her reading and you know what? She is reading so much better and I think it has partly to do with the confidence boost she got from me telling her how proud I am of her! 
That and telling her how well she's reading and how before long she will be reading all by herself.
My dad was a man of few words when it came to telling me how proud he was of me, but I can remember one time it meant a whole lot to me and probably made me a better mother in the long run.
When my oldest dd was a baby my dad would watch me care for her and how I did things for her. Then one day he said something that made me just beam. He said Debbie, you are a really good mother. He didn't say he was proud of me, but the message was clear, He was proud of me.
He said just what I needed to hear, just at a time when I wondered if I measured up in the area of mothering and if I was doing things okay. What he said meant a lot and I still relish his words and remember them to this day.
Heartfelt praise goes a long way. It sticks. It makes a difference. It is something to draw on and lean on in the future when things get a little rough and you are unsure of yourself.
It's not hard to say. I am so proud of you. See? Now watch for an opportunity and let your children know today that you are proud of them, then watch them light up and glow!
