Life
My daughter's a toddler, so she's doesn't have too much to say about me these days. However, when she does get old enough to speak in full sentences, it's going to be so fun to picture her sitting with her little friends, chatting about their moms and what they're like. In fact, it's really sweet to think about what you want your child to eventually say about you, and when I think about what I want my kid to say about me, a few things come to mind instead of my daughter talking about how "pretty" I am.
To be clear, she'd better lead with how pretty I am. Kidding, kidding. Totally kidding (for the most part). In all seriousness, I do hope she says I'm kind to her and others, I'm patient with her, and that our home was and is always welcome to everyone, regardless of whether I'd managed to wash the dishes that have piled up in the sink or wipe up the goo under the high chair.
And of course, thinking about what I want my daughter to say about me reminds me of what I should be spending my days working on. I don't need to put my energy into fussing over my hair or trying to keep her occupied while I put on my makeup, but teaching her new words or one day helping her with her homework. Those are the kind of reminders focusing on what I want my daughter to eventually say about me, can provide.
That I'm Patient With Her
I've lost my temper with my daughter several times in her young life already, typically when I'm overtired and she's just thrown yogurt on the floor for what feels like the millionth time. Still, I hope that those times are far outweighed by the times I've been patient with her. I hope she says I'm a patient mom, not a mom who loses her temper at the first sign of chaos.
That I'm Smart
More than smart, I hope she says I'm curious and interested in learning. I hope she says I read books and always want to talk about what's going on in the world and in our community.
That I Solve Problems And Help Her Solve Her Own
I've always said that I think one of the most important things both my parents taught me is the ability to problem solve. The skill of facing a problem and figuring out new or multiple ways around it has served me so well in my life already. In fact, it might be the single most important skill I have. I hope I'm able to teach my daughter the same important skill, and that one day she recognizes it.
That I'm A Good Teacher
Until now, I've been teaching my daughter the most basic things, but when she's older I hope she'll be able to say that I've helped teach her more complex things. My mom sat with me for hours and worked on geometry, despite a very grumpy student, and continued to try and teach me. I hope my daughter one day will be able to say the same of me.
That I'm Kind
Above anything else, I hope my daughter says I'm kind to her, to my husband, to any future kids we have, and to everyone else I come into contact with. I don't want my daughter to ever have the example of me not being kind to someone, for any reason. I also hope she recognizes kindness as one of the most important qualities we can all have.
That Our Home Was Welcoming To Everyone
My daughter was too young to remember when we had our first foster babies, but one day she'll likely see the photos of her and her foster sisters and brother and ask about them. Maybe she'll even ask why we took in foster babies when she was so little, and I hope she will understand when I explain that we were worried about splitting time with her, but we felt it was important for her to know, from a young age, that our family welcomes everyone as though they are family.
That I'm Compassionate And Sympathetic
I want my daughter to always feel that I have compassion for her and others, and that I'm sympathetic to what she's going through. I try to remind myself often that what she's facing and frustrated with is likely new to her, even though it may seem simple to me. Just because she's young doesn't mean I should automatically brush off her worries or insecurities.
That I'm A Cuddly Mom
Honestly, I hope this is a thing she can remember and say, only because she continued to want to cuddle with me long after she turned 2.
That I'm Creative
Since my daughter was born, and we've been living a somewhat miniature and temporary lifestyle in a little apartment in a new city, I haven't been nearly as creative as I was prior to becoming a mom. I hope one day she's able to say that I'm creative, artistically and otherwise. I hope she can see me create things for our home and I hope she can see me create opportunities for myself and our family.
That I'm Silly
I'm not the super funny type, in that I don't love goofy humor and anything where other people look uncomfortable. Honestly, that kind of "humor" makes me physically cringe. Thankfully, since having a toddler I seem to have found my silly side with my daughter. So there's hope that, one day, my daughter might consider me to be a pretty funny, always willing to be silly with her, mom.
