Thursday, October 14, 2010

Ribbons in the Sky: Indulging My Kids' Passions (Without Turning Them Into Total Brats)


Lila and Mari, the beautiful dreamers


When I was little, I wanted to play the piano like Stevie Wonder and speak French and travel to far away places like California and Hawaii and Harlem. Alas, these things happened only in my mind. My parents, after all, were factory workers—bound to blue collar paychecks, limited vacation days, and a work schedule that stretched from sun up to can’t see. Lack of time, money and sleep meant I could be a world-traveling, French speaking, piano playing wonder child only in my dreams.

Of course, I hold no ill will toward my parents for this. But I promised myself that things would be different for my girls—that they’d grow up having known the excitement of exploring a new land, learning about new cultures, and, above all else, having their wishes indulged.

It’s not that I spoil them, mind you. There’s a big difference between caving to every little whim and coaxing and encouraging their love of something new...


To read about how I indulge my kids' passions to help build their confidence and teach them the value of trying something new, and to get great tips on confidence-building tools and stories about how moms are helping their tweens navigate those sweat-inducing "moments," check out www.DontFrettheSweat.com.
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1 comment:

  1. Congrats on the new site!! I posted my response to this post over there, too!

    I couldn’t agree with you more! I definitely don’t spoil my children but anyone who knows me understands that I afford my children “opportunity”. My daughter has done so much more than I did as a child and she’s only ten. I let her experience almost all of her whims: karate, dance, cello, chorus, etc. Not to mention that I pretty much take my children every where I go, too!

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