My parenting list

My son's birthday is coming up. And it's his 5th. Over the next year he will start at a new school. He will continue to grow both emotionally & physically and become more mature. He will need me less and try more things on his own.

He is on his way to developing into the man that he eventually will become. Over the past few months I have been carefully watching my baby grow into a little boy. He has strong opinions and loves reading and learning. He is sweet and kind and loving...he is oh so very loving. Hearing his sweet voice from the backseat of the car say out of the blue "mommy, I wuv you." well...that just melts me and makes me want to freeze that moment to replay over and over again. Especially when I'm having a bad day. And I am proud of him...so very, very, proud.

Over the last few months, I have found myself writing little notes in my cell phone about things that I want to make sure that my son knows. Things that I want to make sure that he learns about...a list of things that I really believe that if he learns as a child will make him into an absolutely wonderful man when he's an adult. It's not a complete list by any means. And it's not the list that will fit every child. But it consists of things that I believe are important.

1) Getting dirty is ok. It's why god made showers and the washing machine. Plus it's one way that I know that you have had as much fun as possible doing something!

2) Don't be afraid to love or afraid to tell people that you love them. And your father and I hope to hear those words come from you in our direction often.

3) It's alright to show emotion. And it's alright to talk about how you feel. I will do my best to help you learn how to do this. Being a good communicator will help you go a long way when you are an adult. And your future spouse will thank me.

4) Hugging is good—actually it's expected in our home. I know that out in the real world that physical touch is not always acceptable, but when you care about someone one of the best ways to show them is by touch…and hugs are one of the best way to do that.

5) Asking why is always acceptable. And I will always do my best to answer with a "real" answer, not just a "because I say so." When I don't know the answer I will find it, with you right by my side.

6) Don't be afraid to be goofy or silly - There are times that we just need to dance to get the silly's out of our system!! (And I LOVE our dance party Sundays!!)

7) Helping mommy or daddy is always appreciated. It's how you will learn how to do things…like fixing things, building stuff, cooking, laundry and dishes. It's one of the things that will help you to be an amazing man and husband in the future.

8) I will always be your cheerleader. For your wins and your losses. I will keep scrapbooks of your life and show them to your prom date. I will brag about you to my friends and on my blog. I will post photos of you on Facebook and I will be there for you every step of the way…cheering you on in your life.

9) You will lose sometimes and it's not the end of the world. Regardless of what other people say, not everyone is a winner at everything. There will be times when you will lose, but your daddy and I will always be there for you. You won't be alone and we will always figure out how to learn from that loss and what to do better next time. And we will teach you to never give up. Never. Ever. Give. Up.

10) We will travel together and see this beautiful world. Your daddy and I will do our best to give you the chance to explore places, both near and far. We might not get to everywhere we want to, but the places that we will go too will help us to make special memories together. And travelling will open your eyes to what this amazing beautiful world has to offer.

11) Your father and I will always be your home base. We will be a solid rock on which you can always land. We will be there at your sporting events, will come to your class parties, we will be there when you call out for us.