I love this, and you’re so right that our children mirror both the good and the bad. I’m often shocked and humbled in the same day. One day I wonder where my eldest learned to be so patient and kind, and then an hour later I wonder why my children are using those tones of voice with each other and why the volume in our home has gotten so crazy (hmm, what tone and volume have *I* been using?🙈)
It’s so hard to be that mirror, but I hope what I’ve modeled the most is repentance and honesty — that you make mistakes and say you’re sorry and then you keep trying and ask for the grace to keep going.
Prayers for your next steps, right there with you.
Thank you Annelise, and YES to everything you said. Modeling repentance and actively apologising to my kids when I’m in the wrong is a big one for me as well. How can I expect them to learn to apologise if I never admit when I’m wrong?
Becca, your audio recording moved me deeply. I especially loved your words on not focusing so much on the minutia of our choices and rather reflecting on whether we are living a life worthy of our children mirroring it. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing. Reading this really hit home for me. Halfway through, tears were pouring down my face, but in a good way. I have noticed my little Ava (she is 2 as well) mimicking me in many different ways, but there are a few that really hold a special place in my heart. Watching her with her baby dolls is one of those moments. When she doesn't know I'm watching, I sit back and observe her play. It fills my heart with joy to see her nurturing her babies. I never taught her this, just like you mentioned with your little one. This felt like a moment of clarity - the first time I witnessed her being such a good little mommy and taking such loving care of her babies. Another moment that melted my heart was when she was playing with a mini broom and dustpan toy, you know, the ones for little toddlers. She was strategically sweeping the floor, and the imaginary dirt was giving her a hard time. The dirt wasn't going into the dustpan the way she thought it should, and she said a few choice curse words. She then calmly propped her little broom and dustpan against the corner. Right after that, the dustpan tipped over behind her, and she stormed away huffing and mad. In that moment, I realized that my life goal and mission is to be a better reflection, to model kindness, patience, and love, and all of the good things in life for my children to mirror. Thank you for sharing. I really needed to hear this!
Oh Caitlyn! Thank you so much for sharing your own experience. I’m so glad this piece was helpful for you. These moments with our little ones are SO precious. Right there with you trying to better model a life of love and grace 🫶
My son brings his stuffed animals to me to nurse and put to sleep, which I think is sweet. My son mirrors me in ways I didn’t expect, he learned how to do yoga poses and deep breathing from a young age because he watched me do it. They really watch and observe everything we do.
Toddlers doing yoga is the CUTEST. When I was pregnant with my second I would do a few simple yoga stretches each evening, and my older daughter, who was almost 2, would always join in. She was so proud of her down dog 😭
Stop, so sweet! I have the cutest video of my one at like a year doing downward dog with so much pride, now he does little sun salutations, my heart melts.
Beautifully written. I have three boys, all of whom I've breastfed/am breastfeeding. While they don't imitate me by trying to breastfeed their toys, they do bring their stuffies/action figures to me and ask me to nurse the toys, which is so hilarious and cute. It also makes me hopeful that someday, they will be husbands and fathers for whom breastfeeding is totally normal; this definitely was the case for my husband, and he was one of the biggest reasons I felt empowered to fight for my breastfeeding relationship with my oldest, who had a lot of challenges at the beginning.
Thank you Christina. That is so cute. Yes to boys seeing their mom breastfeed and growing up to see it as normal, love that your husband was so supportive of your breastfeeding journey, it absolutely makes such a difference having a supportive partner ♥️
Thank you for your lovely comment 🥰 I’m so glad you enjoyed this piece.
I love this, and you’re so right that our children mirror both the good and the bad. I’m often shocked and humbled in the same day. One day I wonder where my eldest learned to be so patient and kind, and then an hour later I wonder why my children are using those tones of voice with each other and why the volume in our home has gotten so crazy (hmm, what tone and volume have *I* been using?🙈)
It’s so hard to be that mirror, but I hope what I’ve modeled the most is repentance and honesty — that you make mistakes and say you’re sorry and then you keep trying and ask for the grace to keep going.
Prayers for your next steps, right there with you.
Thank you Annelise, and YES to everything you said. Modeling repentance and actively apologising to my kids when I’m in the wrong is a big one for me as well. How can I expect them to learn to apologise if I never admit when I’m wrong?
Will be praying for wisdom for you too 🙏🏼
BABIES NURSING DOLLS GIVES ME LIFE 😭😭😭 my 3yo does this all the time and my 15mo is starting to do the shush-and-sway 😭
Babies nursing is one of the cutest things. I love it. 🥰
Our very young boys would pretend to nurse their stuffed animals, it's the freakin cutest. They also know boobs "are for babies to drink milk" hahaha
💥 💥 💥
ALSO TODDLERS PRAYING THE ROSARY 😍😭😍😭 (welcome homeeeeeeee 🙏🙌)
Thank you 🙏🏼
Becca, your audio recording moved me deeply. I especially loved your words on not focusing so much on the minutia of our choices and rather reflecting on whether we are living a life worthy of our children mirroring it. Thank you.
Beautiful, Becca. And can’t wait to hear more about your journey home🥹
Thank you Amber ♥️
Thank you for sharing. Reading this really hit home for me. Halfway through, tears were pouring down my face, but in a good way. I have noticed my little Ava (she is 2 as well) mimicking me in many different ways, but there are a few that really hold a special place in my heart. Watching her with her baby dolls is one of those moments. When she doesn't know I'm watching, I sit back and observe her play. It fills my heart with joy to see her nurturing her babies. I never taught her this, just like you mentioned with your little one. This felt like a moment of clarity - the first time I witnessed her being such a good little mommy and taking such loving care of her babies. Another moment that melted my heart was when she was playing with a mini broom and dustpan toy, you know, the ones for little toddlers. She was strategically sweeping the floor, and the imaginary dirt was giving her a hard time. The dirt wasn't going into the dustpan the way she thought it should, and she said a few choice curse words. She then calmly propped her little broom and dustpan against the corner. Right after that, the dustpan tipped over behind her, and she stormed away huffing and mad. In that moment, I realized that my life goal and mission is to be a better reflection, to model kindness, patience, and love, and all of the good things in life for my children to mirror. Thank you for sharing. I really needed to hear this!
Oh Caitlyn! Thank you so much for sharing your own experience. I’m so glad this piece was helpful for you. These moments with our little ones are SO precious. Right there with you trying to better model a life of love and grace 🫶
My son brings his stuffed animals to me to nurse and put to sleep, which I think is sweet. My son mirrors me in ways I didn’t expect, he learned how to do yoga poses and deep breathing from a young age because he watched me do it. They really watch and observe everything we do.
Toddlers doing yoga is the CUTEST. When I was pregnant with my second I would do a few simple yoga stretches each evening, and my older daughter, who was almost 2, would always join in. She was so proud of her down dog 😭
But yes, they are always watching 👀
Stop, so sweet! I have the cutest video of my one at like a year doing downward dog with so much pride, now he does little sun salutations, my heart melts.
Beautifully written. I have three boys, all of whom I've breastfed/am breastfeeding. While they don't imitate me by trying to breastfeed their toys, they do bring their stuffies/action figures to me and ask me to nurse the toys, which is so hilarious and cute. It also makes me hopeful that someday, they will be husbands and fathers for whom breastfeeding is totally normal; this definitely was the case for my husband, and he was one of the biggest reasons I felt empowered to fight for my breastfeeding relationship with my oldest, who had a lot of challenges at the beginning.
Thank you Christina. That is so cute. Yes to boys seeing their mom breastfeed and growing up to see it as normal, love that your husband was so supportive of your breastfeeding journey, it absolutely makes such a difference having a supportive partner ♥️