Like most moms, I stay up way too late and then wake up way too early all to enjoy a few moments of quiet…by myself. At night, I throw myself into the latest episode of a trashy reality show or a murder documentary…in the early morning hours, I get caught up with the news and social media. It’s my balance.
Anyway I digress…
A blog caught my attention this morning and gave me an instant headache because I think I rolled my eyes too hard. A woman was emphatically telling parents to stop bragging about their kids…she was suggesting we celebrate their accomplishments in private. It was one of those “my kid is on the honor roll” bumper stickers that sent her over the edge.
I say this: BRAG ABOUT YOUR CHILD ALL DAY LONG.
You know why? Because our children deserve to be celebrated.
I honestly believe the people who have a problem with a parent who brags are just caught up in their own insecurities and they may be comparing their child to another. They may be the ones who are feeling that their children are “less than”…when in reality, NO child is less than. They all have different success stories and they should be bragged about.
Now there are those parents who say, “my kid is way better than yours…she is the best thing on this team”…blah blah blah. When people make it obvious that they are comparing their child to yours, that’s not bragging…that’s obnoxious. Celebrate, but don’t compare.
My oldest daughter is a pretty good defender on her soccer team…I am going to celebrate that.
My son is in the Talented & Gifted program…I am going to celebrate that.
My other daughter almost knows how to spell her first and last name…guys, it’s 17 letters long and includes every damn vowel…I’m going to celebrate that.
My youngest can use her fork…I’m going to celebrate that.
I’m going to celebrate every little thing that makes my children WHO THEY ARE…and I am not going to apologize for it.
If I post about these, it’s because I am PROUD of my kiddos…I’m not competing with anyone else. The same way I am not competing with anyone when it comes to the size of my house, the kind of car I drive, my clothes, waistline or bank account balance.
My children’s accomplishments DO NOT diminish your child’s accomplishment.
Please fill my feed with pictures of every home run, travel team selection, National Honor Society induction, college acceptance letter, engagement, first baby and anything else under the sun that you want to celebrate.
I’ll be scrolling through my news feed toasting each and every one of you…
Because anything that ends with a smile on a child’s face and a proud parent is a job well done.