- Image by Saquan Stimpson/monstershaq2000 via Flickr
As a child we go through life acting like we should be different from who we are. I am watching Abigail grow up and develop and am praying that I have instilled in her the ability to be herself. I have never had the gift of just being me. I guess I have spent too many years worrying that no one will like the real me. As a kid it is hard to realize who you are and what you are about. It is so easy to fall into peer pressure and go the wrong way.
I have spent the past 8 years helping my baby realize that we have to care for others. I have showed her that we have to love in order to be loved. I have tried to instill the idea that we feel good when we help others. Most of all I have tried to remind her each step of the way in her short life that we all have brains and she has to use hers.
As she is blossoming I am starting to worry more and more about the lessons that I have taught her. She knows that smoking is just plain bad for your health and stupid. I have been sure to let her know that with just on cigarette she could be addicted for life. I have tried to tell her about drugs and all of the bad things that they do to people. It is not the people who are bad it was their choices.
I am sitting here in the summer before 4th grade hoping that she has the self esteem not to fall into peer pressure. I am praying that she knows to say no as we have practiced. I am praying that she knows that she can tell me anything even if it is bad. I am praying that her walk down the teenage years is easier for her then mine was for me.
I am amazed how we give birth to these little angels and change them. I do not know how to make sure that she stays safe other then to remind her each and every day that she has a mind of her own and pray that she is confident enough to use it.
Becca
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Ooh I don’t envy you. I was watching this show about a girl who is pregnant who asked her brother if raising his teenage daughter got any easier and he laughed and said NO! but something to the affect that as we get older we get better at adapting to their problems. I guess that’s why I can only handle the two year old kind now, and I’m not even sure I’m doing that well!
In my experience I found that it is DIFFICULT and takes time to begin thinking for yourself and developing a good set of morals. What my parents have done for me was give me the background to establish these morals. As my thoughts and actions grew I was able to recall back to these lessons learned from parents/leaders/heroes that have come into my life. I have been involved with texas summer camps
for 14 years and it has helped me develop life skills necessary to impact my life as well as others. We all make mistakes and we learn from them, however it is our resilience that defines how we interpret and act on our experiences. Resilience is like a muscle that needs to be exercised. You work on it by failing and succeeding. Camping facilitates an environment where kids learn how to fail and succeed, surrounded by the impact of positive leaders. I am thankful for my opportunity to be involved with such an experience.
Hey, great post, I was wondering if you could do a follow up on your daughter and how she is handling peer pressure since it only gets worse from 8 years of age until it gets better probably in mid 20s. Some kids are better handling peer pressure than others. How is your daughter doing? Very important topic. Sounds like you are doing a great job though.