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Infant Circumcision
If circumcision were a choice I had to have made, I would have run frantically from the hospital with my newborn son to protect him from the procedure. His father would have chased me down, insisting his son “look like he did.” All I can say is I’m...
More Than I Can Bear
One of my long time best friends called me the other night with a horrible pain in her heart. She needed someone to talk to. Rumor had it her daughter might be suicidal and she was trapped on a business trip until the next evening. Her...
Teaching Your Child To Be Respectful
Respect for others is based on self-respect and is summed up in the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. It is the value that makes the world a more decent and civilized place. People show respect in many ways. They...
VALENTINE'S DAY SNOWFLAKE CONTEST
Empowered Parent Snowflake Contest To enter the Empowered Parent Snowflake contest, click on the design of your choice and either make one of these 4 patterns, or create your very own original! Send the completed snowflake to: JB Information...
"You Make Me Sick" and other things Parents Say in Anger
Maryann is so focused she's blind. She's slipped over the edge of responsibility and forgot the real reason she is working so hard. It's for her daughter.
Being a single parent isn't easy. Between working, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning...
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“Sit right here!” is a new game
We hear all the time, “It’s the little things that really matter.” Recently I was reminded of how true this is.
Bella is my eighteen-month-old granddaughter who is beginning to learn how to talk. This week she put together her first sentence. The process of a child learning to speak has always fascinated and amazed parents and grandparents. I’m sure it’s a real relief for the child too when someone actually gets what all their babbling means!
It happened to Bella and I while we were rocking and singing songs. She suddenly jumped off my lap, went to another chair in the family room and patted the chair and said, “Sit right here!”
I couldn’t believe what I heard and simply stared in awe. So, she repeat it again, “Sit right here!” I got up and sat in the chair she was pointing to. Bella’s eyes immediately lit up and a big smile appeared on her face. She was communicating and someone actually understood what she was saying!
She got into the feeling of authority quickly and the
orders didn’t stop, “Sit right here!” “Sit right here!” “Sit right here!” Over and over, I would sit where she wanted and each time, her eyes would light up and her smile clearly conveyed the feeling of accomplishment.
As I write this story, I am reminded of how speaking requires not only a speaker but a listener. I am so happy I was able to hear what Bella had to say. How many times in the past have people tried to communicate with me and I never heard what was said? Maybe that’s one of the benefits of being a grandparent, maybe we finally take the time to “Get it!”
About the Author
Don Schmitz is a popular speaker and writer on parenting and grandparenting. He is the author of The New Face of Grandparenting …Why Parents Need Their Own Parents and founder of Grandkidsandme, which includes: Grandparent Camps and Grandkid Days. Don holds graduate degrees in Education, Administration, Human Development and father to three sons and seven grandchildren. Contact Don@grandkidsandme.com.
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