Better Person

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Squirt (and in some ways, Spud) has made me a better person. As he nears his second birthday, I've been thinking back on all the ways I have grown and changed since first learning I was pregnant.

One thing that really sticks out in my mind is that I am trying to be more civic minded and earth friendly. I'm certainly not great at either one of these things, but I'm trying for the kiddos sake. We can read all the books in the library about helping others and taking care of the planet, but if I don't do it, I think it will be a lot harder for them to learn the lesson.

I admire my friends that are super involved in local politics or that eat only vegan foods. They really do inspire me and part of me thinks Squirt would be a better person in the long run if they were his parents. But he is stuck with me, and I'm imperfect, so we just attempt to do the best we can.

Things that I am trying to teach Squirt:
* Always say "thank you." Those 2 words go farther than any others I can think of. Even if you forgot "please," you can rebound with a "thank you."

* Give to others. Maybe it is a dollar to someone on the corner; maybe food to the pantry on base; maybe it is to a cause you believe in. At the end of the day, someone needs it more than you do, so find a way to give.

* Be patient. Yesterday we went out to lunch and the restaurant was packed, they were short on servers, and overall it was a freaking long wait. It would have been easy to get frustrated or mad, especially when they completely forgot our appetizer. But instead we smiled, told the waitress we understood, and just made the best of the wait by coloring. Situations are always going to come up that are going to be annoying and you are going to have to wait. Life is a lot better and you will feel more relaxed if you just go with the flow, put a smile on your face, and refer back to that whole saying "thank you," thing when you finally are helped.

* Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. We have been trying to cut back on the things we buy in packages. And you'd be amazed at what containers a 2 year old finds fascinating (um, cardboard tubes are like his favorite thing right now). And Squirt always watches when we take recycling and sort it and as he gets older, this will become one of his jobs.

* Cut back. This is a really, Really, REALLY hard one for me. I hate the commercialism of society and that constant quest for the newest/bestest thing. I've mentioned before that we are Dave Ramsey converts and I really want Squirt to know that if you can't afford it, you don't get it. If it isn't worth working for and saving for, you really don't want it.

* Use less resources. It is strange how much more focused I have become on using "green" cleaners, serving meatless meals, and the like since becoming a parent. I still feel a lot of guilt that Squirt didn't last longer in cloth diapers and I get sick to my stomach when I think of how many dirty diapers I have sent to landfills.

* Everyone is unique and deserves to be treated with respect. I feel ashamed at the ways that I have judged others and am trying so hard to correct those first impression thoughts. Considering that Spud will look "different," I think it is going to be uber critical to teach my kids that looks/abilities are not reasons to judge someone. You treat them with kindness and get to know them. Then if you learn they have an ugly heart, you just smile and nod and move on. This one has been especially hard since there are several people in my life that annoy me, but that I can't get rid of. I'm trying so hard to balance teaching Squirt that you don't have to like everyone, but you can't be mean either.

How have your kids made you a better person? What values are you hoping to instill in them?