I can't imagine there is a child in the world who couldn't benefit from hearing these words...and that made me evaluate how well I show my girls that they are important, and I think I do an ok job, but how easy is it to TELL them "You are kind, you smart and you are important" and in a world so obsessed with beauty, I want to validate them in ways that don't deal with physical beauty. I think I might add "You are strong" the list...
So I repeated Aibileen's words to Avery tonight (using correct grammar of course), and I made her repeat them to me...then I had to explain what important meant...and then we watched a thrilling Hello Kitty movie... and 20 minutes later Avery took my face in her hands and said, "Mommy, I'm kind, I'm smart, I'm important, and I love you more"...and I melted...
So thank you Aibileen for giving me something important to share with my girls... If they grow up believing that they are kind, smart, important and strong, then Shane and I have succeeded...
4 comments:
Lovely. I'm going to do this with Duncan. (I better read the book!)
When my children were young, each day before school I would tell them, "You are important, you are loved"
I had heard Sally Jessie Rapheal say she said this to her children and I thought it was special... they remember and they are now 22 and 26, both very independent children, who are on their own since an early age with much, much self-confidence, I like to believe hearing that every morning helped make them who they are today!
Ok- I tried this with Madilyn this morning and she looked at me like I was crazy. I do tell her everyday that I love her bigger than the sky so I just added a couple of lines to that. Maybe once she gets used to hearing it she won't think I'm crazy.
Haven't seen the movie, but did read the book--and of course loved it. When I read those lines, I felt like I had been hit over the head with a brick. A brick made of... I don't know... sunshine! I'm not sure I can quote any other part of the book, but I think I'll always remember those words.
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