What are some of your epic parenting/kid moments

[AnnleaArtsy]

So we home school our kids. My plan is each week is we dedicate that week to specific morals/ personality traits that we try our best to show our kids. Confidence, being polite, etc. And then we either do activities or  some how involve the general public (Writing a random nice note and sticking it in a library book for example) Well this week is Gratitude..being happy with what you got kinda thing.

 

Yesterday we had a quick discussion on it then I asked them well what are you happy for (using happy because I have a four year old and she became super confused when I said grateful) Before I get into what they came up with 99.9 percent on their own I want to let you know that my kids can be kind of...materialistic. The want, want, want , and want. Which I **guess** is normal but either way here is their list

 

Boy- 6 turning 7 in Oct

homeschool

cousins

friends

family

having a big room

books (I came up with that one lol thats why the 99.9)

having a new brother on the way

having a mom and dad

painting

 

Girl 4

to be able to make things

kisses and hugs

having people to share my coloring with

family

"giving" (she means donating things)

we will have a baby brother to read to

having a garden

feeding birds

 

Not going to lie I was floored. I really did not expect that..I thought they would say things like movies, video games, spiderman..whatever. Being grateful is a huge deal in our house so it was one of those moments where I felt like my husband and I were actually doing something right.

 

I was hoping to read some of your positive moments.

 

[67alecto]

I'll check back on this with some of my own, but I wanted to add one from my friend.  His son had an assignment in school similar to what you asked - around Thanksgiving, the kids were asked what they were thankful for.  My friend's son wrote (and drew) that he was 'thankful for the scorpion his dad was going to buy him".

 

Keep in mind that he had never even said he wanted something like that.  My friend heard about the assignment after it was turned in, so the next day he went out at lunch and bought an Emperor scorpion from the pet store and after keeping it in his desk all day, took it home and surprised his son.

[AnnleaArtsy]

That is hilarious. And what an awesome dad. 

[Jittersthe.Clown]

When my son was about to turn 3, my grandmother had both knees replaced.  We told her that she might not make it to his party because she can't walk very well.  She did end up going to his party and when R saw her coming up the stairs to our house, he held the door open for her and said, "I've got you if you fall, Granny".  It made her tear up.  

We have a discussion at dinner in our house that asks 3 questions of everyone: What did you learn today? What question did you ask today? Who did you help today?  We are each (including the 2 year old) required to answer before dinner is done.  It has made for some of the best weekly reports from his school.

[Calli]

Epic moment number one: My son running for school council because "My sister will be coming here in a few years, and I want it to be perfect for her by the time she gets here" (He's on the autistic spectrum)

 

Epic moment number two: My daughter, who is very vocal, but non-verbal, owing to her deafness, looking up at some fireworks, then tugging on her dad's sleeve and VERY clearly saying "Dadadadadadada" until he looked at her, then chattering animatedly using all of her excited and happy noises.

[Jittersthe.Clown]

At story time yesterday, my son grabbed one of his old favorite books.  I asked him why he chose that one and he said, "Books are like old friends, dad.  I haven't visited with this friend in a while".  

My son the poet

[Shortkaik]

Oh man!  This thread is gonna make me tear up.  :')

 

So I'm a step-mom of two girls, aged 9 and 11.  I've been living with them every other week for the last 2 years or so and just got married this past summer. Becoming an insta-parent has been a real challenge, but has also been super rewarding.  

 

1. One day earlier this year, I was doing some baking with one of the girls (8 at the time).  Just out of the blue, she said, "I can't wait until I get to call you 'mom' after the wedding!"  

 

2. Also the family vows part of our wedding ceremony where we did a, hm, is there a name for it?  Hand stack? "All in"?  Anyway here's a picture, you'll get the idea.

 

 

[Jittersthe.Clown]

I call it a 'family commitment ceremony' for those couples who have children with others.  It can be a lot of fun.  

[Thrillho]

My son has raised more than $3000 for arthritis research.  He was in the paper (again) this week, in case you want some background about how awesome he is. Me and my wife can't take too much credit for this... in many cases, we're trying to get him to slow down and pick more achievable goals, and he's all "No, I want to do awesome things."

[Calli]

What an inspiring young man! I don't think you're going to be able to slow him down, y'know... you might just have to learn to keep up, instead!

[Ceasefire]

My kids are only young, but I see a lot of smarts in my son.

 

Yesterday, he was writing his weekly spelling words in a plate we'd covered in salt. Shake it to erase, write the next word.

 

Well, one of the words was 'hippopotamus'. I told him he didn't have to do that one because it was really long. He told me he wanted it to be his 'challenge'. I asked him if he was sure. He looked at me, point blank in the face and said 'don't worry, I got this'. Not only was I super proud, but it was damned hilarious.

[Krisis]

Toby, age 5 and on the autism spectrum, taught himself to read.  Now, it was my goal to teach him how to read this year.  And I bought books on how to do it.  Turns out, he doesn't want me to teach him.  I like it when my kid encourages my laziness  

 

He's been reading since May and is currently on a 3rd grade level.  And he's in kindergarten.  The boy is so smart it's freaking me out a little bit!  

 

OH.  And on Halloween he dressed as a knight and started reciting the first few minutes of Disney's The Sword in the Stone.  Like, perfectly.  What the!  Video evidence?  Don't mind if I do.  http://youtu.be/SppeZbOPqQI

[brendon_small]

Several epic moments from my oldest son D. (he's 6 now):

 

1. Our middle child (L.) was in the hospital for roughly 4 months at birth. D. never once had an issue with spending his weekends sitting in a hospital room 2 hours from home. He just turned 5 at this point. He also was extremely proud of his brother and enjoyed spending time with him there, but the epic moment was the day before trick or treat. We offered to drive him back home to get candy on Sunday (he and I spent the weekends at the Ronald McDonald House and Hospital) and he decided he would much rather stay at the hospital. He did want candy, and we could buy him some, but he wasn't leaving his brother...

 

2. I DNFed in a olympic triathlon last June. My first DNF ever, and it was on the swim. I made it 3/4 of the way and was done. Logically, I get it - I had the flu during the previous week and it was a longer swim than I was used to. I beat myself up the entire drive home. I was super angry. D. climbed on my lap. He was talking about the morning and he said something about my race. I told him I didn’t finish. My eyes welled up with tears as I talked. He hugged me. The words came out a bit odd, like he was trying to say something but wasn’t sure how. “I’m proud of you anyway because you did it Daddy.†I answered with the fact that I didn’t do it. I didn’t complete the race. “Yeah, but you tried to do it.†He gets the idea.

 

3. All of the family was in the car driving somewhere, and D. just says from the back "You know dad, you aren't a very good man sometimes..." I was taken back by it. His mom laughed and said "What do you mean" - he explained. I don't often hold doors for ladies, or open car doors for them, or...the list went on. My wife explained that he was talking about being a "gentleman" - not a "good man" - but he had a point. Glad to see the little guy is thinking about how other people get treated.

 

The other two kids are working on being epic, but D. has had a little more time and is a little more able to communicate...

 

- Brendon