We try so hard to teach them. Their colors, letters, numbers, shapes, reading, writing… We use flash cards, coloring pages, repetition over and over and over again. It seems to be our mommy goal: to make sure their development is always on track. How our heart soars when they surpass the “norm.” How it worries when they seem to fall a little behind.
I caught my son like this the other day, loving on his favorite stuffed animal–the one that is just as big as he is. I first made all the oooooh sounds, and then did what every good mom should do: took a picture. I put the camera down and asked for my own hug and kiss, to which he gladly obliged. I felt my heart soar, and then we went on to the next thing. I didn’t give it any more thought.
How often do we witness moments just like this, where our child is demonstrating love, empathy, kindness, and we simply look at it with a sweet smile, a photo perhaps?
It wasn’t until a few days later while going through the photos on my camera that this thought suddenly came crashing down on me:
Letters are good to know–really good in fact. But how much more important is the ability to love?
Dear mommas, we are teaching them more valuable lessons than we will ever know. And each time we see a hug, a kiss, a look of concern, compassion, care for another individual… those sweet ones learned it from us.
There are a lot of very successful people in this world, those who far surpass the common man in brains. But it is the Mother Theresa’s who make this world go round, filling it with love and hope. And your children are learning her ways by learning the ways of you. They are learning by watching a momma who gives her life for them, who puts their needs before her own, who breathes to see them happy.
It may not always be apparent, but they are watching, and they are learning. And each time they give that big bear a kiss, you can rest assured you are doing your job well.
So, keep singing those A, B, Cs, momma. But know, there is a much deeper thing happening, as your voice finds its way of love straight into your child’s soul.
~~~~~~~~~~
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Mom Life Now 
Yes! The most vital lesson of them all! It has been my mommy philosophy for some time and was my philosophy in my teaching years. I pray I do this above all else. Thanks for a good reminder!
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Beautiful post, completely agree with you 🙂 Love makes the world go round, it is the be all and end all. If any of us think of what we want for our children, no mother ever says “a really high paying job” but “to love and be loved”
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you are absolutely correct…love is the most important lesson
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So true! They learn so much so much before school age that is not letters and numbers. Sometimes we leave out the really important stuff to teach them letters and numbers
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Beautifully written. Love is something the kids learn at home… I need to remember this while homeschooling. I sometimes lack patience but I need to remember that the lesson is far greater than multiplication. 🙂 Thanks for that reminder!
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Sasha, I love this. What a great reminder. It’s so easy to look at our kids, and how well they develop, speak, or do physical things..but what about love? “Look at their ability to love–they learned that from you.”–that’s what I’m hearing in your words here. Thank you for saying that! I think you are right on with this, because just like Jesus was always saying, God looks at the heart. There will always be the temptation to simply look at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart, and as parents, so should we. A beautiful post. I think your words belong in a book. 😉
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I am a mom to almost 5 and every time I read your posts I get something out of them. I love your focus. What a wonderful reminder to all of us moms that our children are learning more from us than academics, but the ways of the heart. Thank you for this, today. ❤
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Your words always make me emotional. You have such a loving and beautiful perspective on motherhood and children – as it should be. It is inspiring. Thank you:)
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so nice Article… thanks
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That’s true.. it is important to teach kids to love. It is hard to learn how to love..As for the A, B & Cs, there is plenty of time. Really!
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How timely it was for me to read this just after God had given me material for my newest blogpost. I was so inspired by the truth of your God-inspired perspective….that I sat down last night from 1030pm- 330am this morning and wrote like crazy. God showcased a beautiful trait of Christ, in the heart if my 8 year old daughter last weekend….and it was so humbling to witness. And exciting. And emotional. I cried as I wrote. I just can’t fathom some days….how intimately the God of the universe desires to speak to me. Check it out if you get a moment. God used you to lift my head off my pillow and follow His heart obediently. Thank you!
http://Www.pagesofprayer.blogspot.com
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Great Blog post and so very true! We love and empathy are more important than reading by 3.
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Just lovely! In all the hopes I have for my daughter—far beyond being smart and successful and talented—is that she be kind.
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Thank you for reminding me of this! I beat myself up for lack of consistent discipline and dwell on what still needs to be “fixed” in our household vs. how well we are actually doing in regards to teaching them love and faith. Just the other day my little boy touched my leg under the kitchen table with his food and said, “I’m touching you…because I love you.”
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This was good to read! I need to be reminded because sometime we just get SO BUSY! Busy doing the stuff I think is important instead of taking time to love.
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