If you remember the blog titled "Family Quiz" and the question "Who is the smartest person in your family?" I mentioned that I thought my entire family was smart, because we were all smarter than each other in our own special ways. Well my mother was highly distraught when I did not include her in part of my examples, so today's blog is dedicated to her and what I believe to be her top 10 smartest things she has done as a mother.
1. Cultured Me: My mom took us to the library, music lessons ( I played the violin, trumpet, organ, and piano) and to plays and musicals.
2. Tough Love: When I was 8 my mother told me I had to join the swim team so I would be a strong enough swimmer to stay at the pool by myself (one of their close friends managed the swimming pool). Well I did not want to join- so she said it was my choice but the only time I would go to the pool would be when she went-and she never went- so with tears in my eyes I went to my first practice- and I had a great time.
3. Involvement: My mother made sure we were on the right track with our education. I always scored in the 99% range in mathematics on standardized test, so when I was placed in a special math class in 6th grade my mom had a thing or two to tell the guidance counselor and I was returned to the classes I was used to.
4. Independence: My mother was the homeroom mother in first grade, that meant she went on all the field trips. One of the field trips was to the zoo and my best friend Lisa's mom was going to be a chaperon on the trip so we would be split up. I tried to talk Lisa into going with my mom but she wouldn't so I went with her mom, leaving my mom with a bunch of kids she didn't know. I had enough belief in my mom's support that I did not need to be with her 24/7 and knew she would be their if I needed her.
5.Always having my back: My sister went to Catholic school for two years and they decided it would not be the place for me when it was my time to enter 1st grade. That meant I needed to go to special classes to be able to be confirmed. I spent about 6 months in these classes, and then I had to meet with the priest- well that did not go well at all, and he said I would not be able to get confirmed- I was in tears after I came out of the meeting. Well my mother got on the phone, talked to my confirmation teacher and then made an appointment with the priest. All I knew is that after that meeting I was going to be confirmed.
6.Letting me start over: As I tell my high school students, it is important to pick something you love as your college major so you will enjoy the work you will be doing someday. I also tell them it is a very hard thing to decide what you want to be for the rest of your life at the age of 18- Well 4 years after college I was at a crossroads with my career, and I talked to my mother who not only encouraged me to go back to school but paid for it.
7. Taught us responsibility; I think both of my parents had a hand in this one, they made us do chores around the house, they had us open saving accounts, where we would put a % of our earned money and gift money into-we would keep track of our balance. They instilled a good work ethic in me, which I have til this day, and they are both timely people.
8.Supportive: As I mentioned in a previous blog I couldn't wait to learn how to read, however I read painfully slow (I am slightly dyslexic) so when we had our Shakespeare unit, where both the language and form was very hard for me to read my mom read me the entire book, she also read the Iliad to me. ( this was before the concept of books on tape)
9. Travel: My mom loves to travel, and would make sure we saw different sites-both my sister and I have this travel gene.
10. Loved: I always felt loved and she is always ready to help me out of any predicament.
Now I know my mother thinks she is smart because she did so well in nursing school, but I think her talents lie in being a smart mom.
1. Cultured Me: My mom took us to the library, music lessons ( I played the violin, trumpet, organ, and piano) and to plays and musicals.
2. Tough Love: When I was 8 my mother told me I had to join the swim team so I would be a strong enough swimmer to stay at the pool by myself (one of their close friends managed the swimming pool). Well I did not want to join- so she said it was my choice but the only time I would go to the pool would be when she went-and she never went- so with tears in my eyes I went to my first practice- and I had a great time.
3. Involvement: My mother made sure we were on the right track with our education. I always scored in the 99% range in mathematics on standardized test, so when I was placed in a special math class in 6th grade my mom had a thing or two to tell the guidance counselor and I was returned to the classes I was used to.
4. Independence: My mother was the homeroom mother in first grade, that meant she went on all the field trips. One of the field trips was to the zoo and my best friend Lisa's mom was going to be a chaperon on the trip so we would be split up. I tried to talk Lisa into going with my mom but she wouldn't so I went with her mom, leaving my mom with a bunch of kids she didn't know. I had enough belief in my mom's support that I did not need to be with her 24/7 and knew she would be their if I needed her.
5.Always having my back: My sister went to Catholic school for two years and they decided it would not be the place for me when it was my time to enter 1st grade. That meant I needed to go to special classes to be able to be confirmed. I spent about 6 months in these classes, and then I had to meet with the priest- well that did not go well at all, and he said I would not be able to get confirmed- I was in tears after I came out of the meeting. Well my mother got on the phone, talked to my confirmation teacher and then made an appointment with the priest. All I knew is that after that meeting I was going to be confirmed.
6.Letting me start over: As I tell my high school students, it is important to pick something you love as your college major so you will enjoy the work you will be doing someday. I also tell them it is a very hard thing to decide what you want to be for the rest of your life at the age of 18- Well 4 years after college I was at a crossroads with my career, and I talked to my mother who not only encouraged me to go back to school but paid for it.
7. Taught us responsibility; I think both of my parents had a hand in this one, they made us do chores around the house, they had us open saving accounts, where we would put a % of our earned money and gift money into-we would keep track of our balance. They instilled a good work ethic in me, which I have til this day, and they are both timely people.
8.Supportive: As I mentioned in a previous blog I couldn't wait to learn how to read, however I read painfully slow (I am slightly dyslexic) so when we had our Shakespeare unit, where both the language and form was very hard for me to read my mom read me the entire book, she also read the Iliad to me. ( this was before the concept of books on tape)
9. Travel: My mom loves to travel, and would make sure we saw different sites-both my sister and I have this travel gene.
10. Loved: I always felt loved and she is always ready to help me out of any predicament.
Now I know my mother thinks she is smart because she did so well in nursing school, but I think her talents lie in being a smart mom.
1 comment:
I am happy to see all the positive influences you have remembered and posted. Thank you Lvya Ma
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