One of the most important things to me is ensuring that my kinderbesten grow up to be functioning, responsible, awesome adults that will be a positive influence in the lives of the people that they meet in the future. I likely don’t work as hard on this as I should, but it’s something that constantly informs the way I interact with my children.
Today I had the pleasure of watching my kids spend the afternoon with two of their friends: children whose parents have gone all out to help them grow into fully awesome little people. It was great to see how they all interacted and took their cues from each other. They would play games when they wanted to play; go out on the trampoline when they wanted some fresh air; take some quiet time when they needed it; and play chase when they picked up a bit more energy. In short, they were functioning like little adults: completely self-managing. Probably better than adults, in fact.
One of the most rewarding things was watching the Elderbeast take his cues from his friends: if they didn’t want to do something, he was happy to accept that; when they were ready to play, he was ready to join in. It’s a marked difference to the way he often is around other people. Clearly there was something about being around these kids that really brought out the best in him.
It’s nice to have a bit of hope for the future once in a while.