MY CLOSET TA DA! These towels were lovingly folded by my six-year-old daughter and three-year-old son. No, the towels have not been precisely folded to have the corners meet neatly, and they have not been folded in the ever-so-delightful "tri-fold" as seen in countless commercials. But I squealed with delight and had plenty of hugs and kisses to go around when the task of folding had been done. Momentary RANT (please bear with me...) I can't stand when parents point out the wrongs to children who have given their best to complete a task and who have performed to the best of their young abilities! It is one of my biggest pet peeves. It may not be perfect and it may even look to the parent as a disaster, but in their heart they've tried their best. And when a parent comes along behind them (even if they don't verbally put the child down) and "perfects" said task - it damages the child's confidence. The message sent to the child is, "Yeah, nice try, but it is not good enough." So, my Works For Me Wednesday tip is: Let a child take pride in their work. Don't go in behind them and "make it better". Allow them to be part of the family team and let them know that they are valuable and no matter what they contribute, or at what level, it will be appreciated (not re-done). There is just nothing better than seeing a child feel valued! For more Works For Me Wednesday tips head over to Shannon's place.
I present to you: 
10 Comments:
You are so right! Sometimes you just gotta bite your tongue and load on the praise!
By
Trisha, at 7:14 AM
I completely agree. Great post!
By
Katrina @ Callapidder Days, at 8:30 AM
Great post. And, your kids are great at folding towels! That is some good handiwork for a 6- and 3-year-old.
By
Sarah, at 8:39 AM
Yep great advice, I practice that too!!!
By
Lori, at 10:36 AM
This is so hard for me. I am just now getting to the point of letting Reia just do it herself without my help--during or after the task! Thanks for the reminder.
By
Robin, at 11:40 AM
Great reminder! Thanks!
By
PastormacsAnn, at 12:34 PM
What a great post, Beka. I wish I had remembered this so much earlier in their lives, but it is never too late to start again.
By
Shalee, at 12:36 PM
Amen! That is a great little nugget of wisdom there. Thanks for sharing that.
By
Anonymous, at 2:09 AM
I'm with you on that! To take it a step further, I think we need to do that when our husband "helps" too. (me included).
My daughter is a great towel folder. I always take them as is, but if she needs more instruction, I choose to give it before she does the next load the next time, so she's brushing up her skills.
By
Unknown, at 6:05 AM
This is a PERFECT post for Pass the Torch Tuesday. I hope you'll consider joining us!
And way to build responsibility and pride in your kids. Awesome!
By
Kelly Curtis, at 7:06 PM
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