Monday, November 30, 2015

Six is Sweet!


Dear Kalista,

Absolutely no way has this happened! The fastest 6 years of my life just flew by me like I was standing still. 

Kalista, you are a true gem. Although you are only six, you have a great perspective on how life should be . . . carefree and FUN! Your nonchalant ways have me wanting to be more like you. I love how you are able to just move right along, regardless of the outcome. I know you will be someone who can truly forgive and move forward without hesitation. What a gift! I could learn a thing or two from you. 

Kalista, you have a smile that is so infectious. I admire your outgoing ways and ability to be personable with anyone. You are definitely not shy! hahaha You don't have a care in the world of what people think about you or what you are doing. That is so rare. Hang on to it!

There is no doubt in my mind that you will be happy all of your life. Whether you are 6 or 76, you will be at peace. And that makes me feel so good. If everyone could be like you, the world would be a wonderful place.

Happy birthday my sweets! I love you!

~ Mommy



Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Building Confidence


CONFIDENCE
Some people have that certain ability to always be confident no matter what the situation. Even if they know things may not pan out the way they want, they still exude confidence. And then there are some people who struggle to feel an ounce of self confidence even when there is a 99.9% chance things will be in their favor.

As a parent, aside from happiness, there is nothing more I want for my children than to have them be and feel confident. It is definitely something I lacked as a child. And if these things are inherited, well then, Sophia has me to blame. And she can also blame me for the early childhood shyness. If she gets anymore of my traits she is going to need a lot of therapy later. : )

I wish I had a magic spell to cast upon Sophia; a confidence/self-esteem spell. I wish there was more I could say or do to make her believe in herself. To my friends, family, and other parents Sophia seems to have it all together. She's smart, determined, beautiful, funny, athletic, and I could go on forever. But, there is just one piece that makes all of these things irrelevant to her. Confidence.

For those who know our family well, it's no breaking news that Sophia enjoys club swimming. We think she is pretty awesome, but as Sophia has pointed out to us time and time again (not just with swimming), "You are my parents. You are supposed to say that kind of stuff." Ouch! Well, she doesn't know her mom well enough in that department. I stopped handing out meaningless compliments a very long time ago. Any hoo. Club swimming has been a blessing and a curse. It has sparked a little bit of positive self-esteem. But because Type A people are never satisfied, it has produced a lot of tears because of unrealistic comparisons/goals (but realistic for an 8 year old) and the lack of confidence knowing it will happen some day.

So in comes social media. Yes, that's right. Social media is used for so many reasons. It's a way to share thoughts, milestones, gratitude, and every day life (or unicorn life - lol). I enjoy posting about my children's accomplishments, but not for the reasons some may think. Confidence. There's that word again. In general, I think kids tend to "hear" your words when other people say them. Just like most kids behave differently (hopefully better) for others than they do for their parents. So I am adding social media to my confidence teaching tool. And yes, it has been working. Slowly (like turtle slow - Sophia is a tough nut to crack), but surely.

So to all those who click on that "like" button (yes, I share these with Sophia) and give her props when you see her - THANK YOU! It warms my heart seeing Sophia smile from ear-to-ear when someone acknowledges her latest accomplishment. She is starting to sporadically feel good about herself. Confident. And that's all I want.