Catching My Kids Reading

It's International Book Week! It's so timely because just recently, I caught my son, Badger, reading my book, Beauty and The Beast. It's no accident. I introduced the book to him. What's so special about it is it was my book from childhood.

You'll still see my childishly written name on the fly leaf!

I read it to him the other night and we pointed out words that were unfamiliar to him like: harbour (explained that it's where ships dock just like what Pearl Harbor was to the battle ships in the movie, Battle Ship), exhausted, beast ("Moomoo?" he asked and I said yes, in a way, but more like an animal, like a tiger or a lion) and many more. It was even more fun because he pointed out that there were badgers in one of the illustrated pages. We laughed over that. I noticed that he has such a compassionate heart because he immediately knew that the beast was crying in the picture. "Why is he crying, Mama?" I notice that Badger loves to comfort people when they are in pain.

I thought that he wouldn't be interested in the book after I read it to him. It just happened to be there at the time and he would go back to his Dr. Seuss books. But no. This morning I saw him look for it and sit down on the floor with it. It was a warm and memorable moment for me. Yes, it was no accident because I introduced the book to him. But it was just really special for me because he looked for it on his own.

There's just really something heartwarming about knowing that the book that I read as a kid is still appreciated by my own son. That he sees the same magic that I saw while flipping through those beautifully illustrated pages.

Reading is something that I want my kids to catch from me. Here's to more of those wonderful, magical moments!

Catching My Kids Doing Something Good

by Justine Camacho-Tajonera

It's been a while since I've written on this blog. But today, I have something to celebrate. I caught my eldest son, Badger, doing an act of kindness for his sister without being prompted last Sunday. Clea has new shoes and they require socks, you see. She was excited to put them on. I noticed that she was going around with her socks in her hands while everyone else was busy preparing to go on our swimming trip to Mamplasan, Laguna. Then, I saw Badger approach Clea. He asked her to sit down on the floor and he started putting her feet into her socks. When yaya noticed that they were having a bit of a problem, she told him to transfer Clea to a bench so he could have an easier time with putting on her socks and shoes. They transferred. Both of them were very quiet while this was going on. It was a wonderful moment for me. I snapped a photo right away.

Parenting can be so bewildering sometimes. I don't know if I'm doing it right most of the time. When I say, "Don't..." I catch myself and beat myself up over being negative. When I comfort my kids when they're crying I wonder if I'm babying them or just being a mom.

But last Sunday, I was fully aware that I was getting a glimpse of how parents feel when they see their kids do something good. I didn't say anything. I didn't ask him to do it. And yet, there he was helping his sister. My cup runneth over! I was overjoyed.

After he finished helping Clea, I called Badger over. "Badger, I just want to acknowledge what you did for your sister. No one asked you to do it. But you did it, anyway. That's being a kuya. I'm very proud of you." He smiled shyly and I hugged him and kissed him.

I recalled all the times that I would ask him to do things or not do things at the top of my voice. I recalled all the times I talked about obedience. These acts of kindness are blessings. They come unbidden but I know it is the fruit of kindness as well. Every time I am harsh and unthinking, I diminish that kindness. Every time I do what is more difficult: being firm without raising my voice, I know those are avenues for my kids to learn from me.

And now...I know that I have one more way of reinforcing great behavior in my kids: that's the task of catching them do something good. More often, I catch them doing something they're not supposed to do. That's where all the noes come from. But I know now that it's more important to catch them doing something great, like being of service to others or saying a kind word to another kid.

I say "catch" because those moments can be so fleeting. Don't wait another second. Kids grow up so fast. Catch it, acknowledge it and treasure it.