What I've learned...

Every year I've been keeping a little list in my journal of things I learn each new year of motherhood.  Here's a few things I learned in year 4: 

• Give simple guidance when they play with a toy.  They will figure it out.  
• Children need to feel a sense of accomplishment when they complete a task by themselves.  This requires great patience on my part.  But it is important. 
• Little children are fickle.  They like a food one day and hate it the next. 
• Playing in water is a great way to wear out kids. It also calms them.  Sometimes I just need to put the girls in the bathtub to cool emotions. 
• Take lots of videos.  It's great to look at pictures, but movies are especially fun to watch when you want to reminisce. 
• Sticker charts and incentives really start to work at age 3.5.  
• Kids can help with chores.  Let them, even if it takes longer for you.  Pick and choose what things are easier if you just do it. 
• Make sure you get 1 on 1 time often.  Kids really need alone time with each parent. 
• Creativity and independent play really happen this year.  Don't structure their play time so much that they don't have down time to be creative.  Their imaginations are running full steam.  Let them be little. 
• Egg shells are hard to vacuum. 
• Speaking of, clean up broken eggs on carpet before they dry. 
• If your child tells you out of the blue that they have a tummy ache....believe them.  Get prepared.  The stomach flu is coming and has no mercy on age or circumstance. 
• 3 year olds say what you say.  So watch what you say. You will hear them repeat it to others, or to their dolls during play time.  
• Make it a BIG deal when your child tries a new food.  And she will be more excited to try new foods and make you proud! 
• Temporary tattoos on kids only look good the first day they are applied. Then they look like some sort of dysfunctional birth mark.  You can't wash them off with plain soap and water.  Lesson learned.