Seeing the world through the Tornado’s eyes.

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Her feet are catching up to mine!

 

Ive always said (to Ren Man, to friends, to *anyone* who would listen) all that matters to me is the kind of person the Tornado grows up to be.

I dont care how much money she makes.

I dont care what profession she chooses.

I dont care if she gets married or has children or any of the’ traditional’ stuffs.

I care she learns and truly grasps the notion life is as simple as do unto others.

I care she learns & hones the ability to put herself in the place of the other and employ empathy.

It was only after I became a mother I learned in order to teach these concepts to her I needed to *stop* & view the world through her eyes first.

Im taking about this over at the FILA blog today.

Ive taught Sunday School. 

Ive taught swimming. 

Ive been a trainer. 

I am a mother.

The one thing all my ‘teaching’ endeavors have in common is the fact none of them “clicked” or fell into place until I *stopped* and considered how each of my students (or the Tornado) viewed his or her world.

It’s amazing what you learn & discover when you make the effort to view your surroundings through the eyes of another.

Friend, co-worker, boss, family member, acquaintance or child.

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Comments

  2. The theme for me in your posts has been to slow down and I am really working on this.
    I have been fighting with my boyfriend a l ot lately and wonder if I stopped and thought about how he viewed the world if we would fight less.

    :/

  5. I want the same for my boys, but I hadn’t been as articulate as you in saying so 🙂

    Have a great weekend.

  9. you know, i never really thought of this till just now. And it is so “eye opening.” To view the world from another perspective is humbling, it’s beautiful, it’s sharing compassion. <3

    • and Id venture to say you do this all the time. daily. when you play supporter and sherpa to your husband. xo

  10. This is so true. I don’t think that it really hit home for me until I had kids. Not only helps the “teaching moments” but with my patience too!! At least I can understand how my kids might be feeling and use that to help work through the tough moments. That picture? Love it!

  11. I love this and appreciate your raw honesty.

    Life is about living healthy not just exercise. Thank you.

  12. I used to pride myself on being able to remember how it felt to be a kid…then my rememberings grew fainter and fainter. Thanks for this reminder to spend some time thinking back to how it felt to be 7, 11, and 15 (my kids’ ages now). I think they need me to remember. xoxo

  13. that nailed it too Jill. I FEEL so young I started to take for granted I thought like a young person. Like a six year old.
    I needed to STOP and pause and make an effort to think like my 6 year old

  15. I love this reminder!
    It’s so easy to get caught up in all the ‘smaller’ things we want for our children to learn (table manners, how to answer the phone, where the laundry basket it and what it’s for…) and forget what’s really important.
    Not so sure I want to think like a 13-year old boy though…

    Have a great weekend Carla!

  16. ok that made me GIGGLE. I frequently think like Jim Carrey—so Im not too too far off…

  18. Always a good practice to see the other point of view, no matter if you agree with it or not. It makes people so much more compassionate.!

  19. That picture melts my heart. I have no doubt that the tornado is going to grow up to be an amazing person! Just look at her mama!

  20. Being a single mom I had to multi-task and leave my kid with people and in places so that I could pay the bills. Still feel guilty about that-and I tell my 25 year old that. She tells me to not worry as she doesn’t remember those times-but I DO think it’s made her the wonderful, caring, smart, flexible, empathetic person she is today. Went to ballet on Sunday-saw it through her eyes. Still doing this. You always do.

  21. P.S. You might care how much $ she makes if you are still paying for car insurance, student loan and health insurance when she is 25!!!! ;-0

  24. It’s amazing how simple and wonderful the world seems through the eyes of a child. It’s sad that the more “adult” we become, the less simple and wonderful the world is perceived. Why can’t we just get back to thinking like a child again? Wouldn’t the world be a much more incredible place? I tend to think yes.

  28. I’m so glad there are people out there, like you, that think this way. Far too many parents just want to control and make small what their children can imagine and do with their lives. And your acceptance of whatever she wants to be in her life- heartrending. Truly.
    You can’t imagine what a tremendous gift you are giving your daughter. God, I wish my mother would have been open to ideas like this.
    Sharing this will open the eyes of those who are willing and that’s wonderful.

  29. So true! Everyone’s view is different, original and needs to be respected.

    Thanks for the reminder to start looking at the world through my children’s eyes more. I’m sure I’d see a lot more than I do through my 34 year old eyes!

  30. Thank you so much for your effort posting this article. I love reading this and I’m pretty sure that it will help me make a wonderful output. God bless! I have also an article Four Hour Body Diet that you might be interested too.

  32. I seem to be one of those grown-ups who lost that magic ability to see the world like a child – but I’m grateful for this reminder of how important it is to keep trying! If anything it gives my kids the chance to explain to me how they see things, which is always so different than what I expected…

  33. *You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!

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