One of the first things I do after Ryan gets off the bus each afternoon is open his backpack and look for notices from the school and artwork that Ryan has created in class. This was in his bag yesterday. It's not the picture, but the words that struck me. As I looked at the drawing and read the words I imagined Ryan's teacher, Miss Nardia, leading a group and telling the kids that they should like themselves for their differences. I imagined that she explained self esteem to them in the best way one can with five year old children.
I can't tell you how many times I have told Rourk that one of my goals as a mother is to make sure as a family we promote positive self esteem and self worth in our children. I believe this is essential if we want Ryan and Lilly to grow into successful adults. Time and time again I meet people that are floundering in their life and so often I can attribute this to low self esteem.
I hung this picture on the pantry door while Ryan watched and I told him he did a great job drawing the mouth, ears, hair and eyes (they're in there somewhere) on his person's face. A little praise goes a long way because he bowed and said, "Thank you. Thank you, Mommy."
2 comments:
Marcy, you and Rourk are doing a wonderful job with your little ones. I am so proud of Ryan and I know him to be an exceptional child. He is one of the joys of our lives.
Love,
Granny and Grandpa
We have Archie's version of this masterpiece on our refrigerator. I made a big deal out of it, too, and felt proud when I read the sentence written across the top of the drawing.
Archie says he made it with Wendy, in speech. But who knows? The thing that's important is that he made it, that Ryan made it, too, and that both boys feel proud for who they are.
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