What would you teach them?

While I'd love to regale you with tails of the full tube of diaper cream that we accidentally left in Robbie's bed, and where that now stands (PS, we're doing laundry)...

And the fact that when looking at her picture book, any time Annie points out broccoli, she says "ROCK!" and does her little rock out to music dance (who knows)...

That he's really into the days of the week, and his favorite?  His favorite day is "Thursday mama!"  (PS, it's only Wednesday bro)

And that one of her favorite words this day is "KICKIN! BOCK BOCK!" (PS, that's chicken (bock bock))...

I want to tell you about one of those conversations I had.  One of those that sticks in your Mom brain, and then a couple weeks later, there's a Washington Post article, and you think the universe is saying, "Write about this!  Stop with the cute kid photos!"

So I'll pose it to you.  She was asked it at a preschool ice breaker.  But I'm asking it to you.

If you could pick one character trait that you could wave a wand and have your children to possess... what would it be?

What would it be?

Chew on that friends.

One trait. 

And she had a good one:  it was resilient.

What a great character trait to give your kids in their lives!  To bounce back.  To bend with the circumstances.  To know there is time for the give and the take.

Resilient is a great one.

I think my Mom may answer something much like that for the character gift that she has given to us.  Her kids.

If I had to describe myself in five adjectives before that conversation, that one may not have been in the mix.  But I think maybe it should be. 

I'm as rigid and type A as it gets.  But damn, I can bounce back.  I can bounce with the best of them, whether I like it or not.  That's been proven in life time and time again, from childhood to today.  And especially in the last few weeks.  Resiliency ya'll.  Let's seek it.

So far be it to steal her answer, and I would if someone may not send this blog along to her, but I still feel like my answer is so very core to the parenting we are attempting. 

My character adjective?  I want Robbie and Annie to be kind.

I hope we are well in hand and en route.

Our children said thank you in their first ten words.

They both do it unprompted.

Robbie's teachers report back almost daily in his day-sheet how kind he was to the newer friends, the smaller friends, and especially the girls (get it Robster)

He helps friends find a toy when they are sad. 

He says "It's okay ('Melia)" if they are crying.

He gives unsolicited hugs in a total tackle around the knees.

And our Sourpatch kid?  The Annie? 

The way she says "Morning!" as we make the rounds at church is heart melting.

So sure, he may have stolen K's book and smacked him on the head.

And she may have bitten a friend AGAIN.

But kindness is a journey.

It still is for me.

And then the Washington Post publishes this yesterday:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/parenting/wp/2014/07/18/are-you-raising-nice-kids-a-harvard-psychologist-gives-5-ways-to-raise-them-to-be-kind/

And the adjectives of caring, grateful, concerned, calm and moral come into the mix.  On something I thought was so simple.  Kindness.

How do you teach it?  Heck if I know.

So I'm asking you? 

What would you teach them?  What would your character quality be?

Winner gets a ride on the carousel