Brag Away Momma!

Great post!

My son (7.5) is super-smart. He takes to new math concepts and spelling words and reading like a fish to water! He's WAY above all national & school averages on all his tests. BUT he's no egg-head. He's funny too. And I mean really funny! (TG he does not get his sense of humor from my in-law side!). AND he's an awesome baseball player.
He's also a sensitive, caring kid who reaches out to challenged kids in his class and school.
He is intelligent, sensitive, caring, smart and athletic. My goal is to raise a well-rounded child -- so that makes me very, Very, VERY proud!!! And very BLESSED!

The other day, my 9 year old son and I were at Subway picking up dinner. While I was at the counter ordering, he sat quietly at a table. I would glance behind me every few seconds, and I noticed the manager restocking the drink case. There is my son, holding the door open for him, and handing him drinks from the stock pile. Gotta love it when they do something sweet without being prodded!

I am most proud of my kids... not really about what they 'do'... but that they KNOW 'who' they are.... even at this young age.
I am very proud of them, for that.
They know who they are. They have good hearts. That is what is.... profound to me, looking at my kids.
They have a keen sense of self, already. And can wisely, discern the 'character' of other people and kids.

I am proud too!

My child is mentally retarded.
My child is autistic.
My child has debilitating anxiety.
My child cannot pass the national tests. She is 11th percentile!
My child never does her homework unless I make her do it. She might spit at me a few times before she is done.
She is not sure what the truth is.

Very pround of my kiddo.

She is sweat and loving.
She knows kind words even when the world is not so kind.
She sees others with less as an opportunity to love and nurture.

She has no faults that all human beings don't share.

We are all proud of our children. They do not have to be good specimines of abundant wonderful terrificness for us to love them or be proud of them. It is easy to love and be pround of the talented, the beautiful, the smart, the graceful, and the charismatic. We do nothing as mothers to make them anything more than what they would be with minimal dicipline and enrichment otherwise, and so many more of us have less than perfect outcomes that spreading joy based on outcome is hurtful and misleading for most of us, and leads so many women to dispair and disapointment when everything is not rosey and wonderful.

I suggest to you that you should change your tune...be grateful that you were given such a gift and look for a little humilty instead. I think maybe your arms are not on the right side of your body today, they should be held out in front of your body, such that your hands can come together in thankful prayer for your good fortune and many gifts.

M.

Martha's post is beautiful. These words struck me most powerfully:

"She knows kind words even when the world is not so kind.
She sees others with less as an opportunity to love and nurture.

She has no faults that all human beings don't share."

//Today we are blessed with a crisp and clear autumn day. My children and I played in the woods. We looked at glistening spider webs and giant orb spiders, red mushrooms and slugs. We pretended to be "fisher-farmers" and fairy princesses. We picked beautiful stones out of the water and stacked them in piles. We used the falling maple leaves as "umbrellas". We ran around and watched elephants and trolls and dinosaurs emerge from the shadows. We screamed at the gulls, ran from the crabs and left with our pants soaked with salt and mud. I left the trees feeling an immense gratitude for life. Especially for my children's lives; for who they are, and the magic they bring into my life.

I am proud of them for being them: complex, beautiful, imperfect them.

WOW!!!!!!! Great work Mom!

I’m so proud of both my kids. They are incredibly smart, talented, athletic, imaginative, respectful, positive, courteous, well behaved, can control their frustrations well, speak 2 languages, use “Adult vocabulary”, adventurous, love to do volunteer work with me, they get up every weekday morning with a smile and anxious for school.

The greatest moment for me are when I get emails from teachers telling me that my child is at the top of their class (in AP classes), get along well with everyone, are extremely courteous and always set good examples for everyone else. My daughter tested at advanced levels on the States standardized testing.

But my biggest bragging right for me would be that my kids still hug, kiss me, say I love you and I miss you everyday; even if I just going to bed for the night they say I’ll miss you while I’m sleeping.. My daughter is 13 and still calls me Mommy even in front of her friends (and never gets teased), wants to talk and cuddle at the end of the day, gives me a huge hug first thing in the morning and still holds my hand when we are out and about together.

My kids hug each other every night and every morning and say I love you, good night, good morning everyday (I get teary eyed still every time). They give each other kudos for their accomplishments and show compassion to each other when they feel down or sad.

We sit down every night for a family dinner and tell one another our ups and downs of the day. We all cuddle on the couch for movie night and still love to go on nature walks together. I could go on and on about how close we are as a family but you get my gist!

Thanks for posting this! I so needed a reminder of how great my kids are today. Its seems like they are fighting and whining all the time (terrible twos!) and I have been so stressed out about it all.
Anyway, we have twin girls, 28 mo old and the cat scratched one of them the other day. She had cornered him and he lashed out. I kissed all over her hand because I couldnt see the scratches yet. (those of you with cats know it takes a couple minutes for them to show). I went back to cooking and all got quiet in the living room. Too quiet. So I snuck up on them to see what they were into. They were sitting together on the couch, heads tilted toward & leaned into each other. Bren had taken the wipes out of the diaper bag and with the other hand was cradling her sisters injured hand, gently wiping away the blood.
I still tear up thinking of the love they share!

I am so proud of my 6 year old even when all she does for the day is make her bed. She is kind, loving and sees the beauty in all things. She is independent and witty beyond her years. I love her most just because but it melts the coffers of my heart to witness her love for her sister. ( Without fail she always gives her the bigger piece). She also practices perseverance and has accomplished the hula hoop and the monkey bars these way.

My 4 year old is the center of my family's joy. We are all so proud beyond words. She has made significant strides beyond our expectations. When she was 18 mos she had about 4 words, she had a flat affect and was oblivious to people. That was the year we found out she was autistic. Now she is happy with a propensity for heights and dance and vocabulary that I can not even count =). She has given up her sippy cup and is fully toilet trained. She initiates conversations, engages others in play. Today it took some fruit snacks but she wrote her name crooked as it may be ... it was perfect

Great post!! I have an absolutely amazing 18 month old..his baby words are making my heart burst with joy. He goes to daycare now and I am soo proud and happy about the way he adjusted. He enjoys outdoor..running around..is a great sleeper and is not a picky eater. He is turning out to be smart too..he can identify some shaped and can count to 10 with help!!I am amazed at his development and growth with every passing day.
Once again thank you for this post!

very good post

My oldest daughter NEVER cried as a baby, and continues to never give me any trouble, she was speaking in sentences so early i wasnt sure how it was even possible. She always has some sort of deep insight that i want to believe in reincarnation and the idea of "old souls", also for some reason she is very very tall, at 7 she comes to my shoulders, and is the height of an average 11 year old. I think she is going to grow up very odd, but beautiful and mysterious.

My youngest daughter is not yet 2 but already shows herself to be a little comedian, she figures out what individual people think is funny and she feeds off of it, remembers it and wraps them around her little finger. She is very mischevious, but not mean. Ive always been jealous of people who were just naturally funny, i feel like i will always be living vicariously through this one.

im never ashamed to gush!

I am proud of your daughter, too! And I'm proud of you because you recognize her good qualities!

wow I hope my daughter will turn out like your's!! She sounds great!

My daugter is one and a half, she is potty trained, she can count to five, she knows her animals and the sounds they make, she talks up a storm already puts sentences together, says please and thank you, knows her abc's, i ask how old she is and she screams one while holding up her finger, she loves to read she memorized alot of her books, knows and sings all of her nursery rhymes, she recently started acting like a ghost saying "OOOoo" with her arms out chasing me, shes a ham :] I love her so much

Good for you for being proud of your daughter, sounds like she is got a great head on her shoulders and will grow up to be an amazing person. Good for you.

My oldest son is 4, he is in a private preschool program and he was working on a computer program Monday at school. He saw a picture of a zebra and saw it spelled out, he was able to type the letters to spell zebra himself with out anyone elses help. He is the only child in his class to be able to do that to date. I'm so proud and excited for him. His teacher was equally as proud and they did two happy dances together. LOL

My 2.5 yr old can count to ten on his own, can count almost to twenty with my help, can identify almost every letter of the alphabet both capital and lower case, and can spell his first name aloud.

Isn't it great when our kids surpass all of our hopes and dreams for them? Sounds like your kiddo is amazing too.

Great Post!

I have three AMAZING daughters.

Hollie- 14 years old. She is very tall. She has this mass of blonde curly hair and deep blue eyes. She is simply gorgeous. But she does not know that she is so beautiful and she wonders why the boys want to talk to her all the time. She is a straight A student. She is a freshman IB student. Last year she got the highest grade in her spanish class for the entire district. She is an accomplished ballet dancer and will be dancing her first solo on Pointe this December in the nutcracker. She was an officer on her dance team last year and her team won Best Overall Middle school at competition plus numerous other awards. She has extremely deep set morals and values. She HATES cuss words. And she does not think girls should talk trashy as she hears so often at school. She also does not believe a girl should date seriously until they are ready for marriage. Her father and I did not push these values on her. She came up with this on her own. She has never once been in trouble at school.

Haylie- 5 years old. In kindergarten. Also very beautiful. But she is a brunette with the same blue eyes as her sister. She is very social. Loves her friends. Loves school. Her teacher says she is so sweet and helpful. She is so eager to learn everything. She is also very helpful at home, loves to do dishes and help cook. She became a big sister this year and has adjusted so well. She adores her little sister and wants to help and play with her all the time. She is always coming up to me and hugging me and telling me she loves me. She is very into fashion. She will change clothes two or three times a day and she comes up with these wild, creative outfits. The other day she came out of her room wearing a bathing suit top, a skirt with hearts on it, a pink winter hat and scarf and she asked me, "Do I look beautiful?" I took her to the grocery store in her charming outfit.

Heidi- My sweet baby is five months old. She is in awe of her big sisters. She started crawling at 3 months old to keep up with them. She is now pulling herself up on the furniture and tries to "talk" to her sisters all the time. She is a happy smiley baby and we are all thankful for her that she has joined our family.

I love my kids!! And I am so blessed to be their mom.

Lisa

Great Job DD!! Keep up the good work!!

I have a 7 yr old who also has great grades. I would like to say he is a straight A student but he has a B in PE, could be worse right. He is a wonderful boy who is maturing too fast. My 4 yr old was just standing in a wedding and I could not ask for better behavior. If I could afford to reward him by buying him a whole toy store I would. My 15 month old is just too much fun to watch, she was born to dance and loves music.

I always go home from work and hug and kiss and tell them what wonderful kids they are they are my favorite (name, name, name ) in the world.

How fun! Way to go to all the proud parents out there! Children are such a blessing, and it's so fun to help, teach, guide and watch them grow/learn.
My little girl turned 2 in May, and I'm amazed at how she loves sitting and 'reading' her books. She memorizes the words and loves to learn. She's constantly singing songs too! She seems to have an 'old soul'. I LOVE being her mommy :)

Aww! How sweet!! I think we do forget to do this!!

My daughter is 7, in her 5th year of dance and is competing! She is AMAZING! She has been reading since she is 4 and will drop whatever she is doing to help someone else - always. She is also testing for her white belt in Tae Kwon Do tonight and receives MANY character awards at school and dance!!

My 5 year old son is in his second year of flag football, a yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do, and is doing FABULOUSLY in kindergarten!! He is the top reader in his class, and always tries to help everyone else! He has alwats gotten rave reviews as a great motivator!

My 3 year old son is AMAZING! He is the funniest person you will ever meet, and also the only person I know who can rap Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. He takes on every baby cousin and at day care as his own sibling and will not let anyone mess with them! He is also in Tae Kwon Do as a pee wee and in less than two weeks has already mastered the 10 commandments of Tae Kwon Do (honesty, loyalty, self confidence, etc.)

My kids really amaze me every day. It's hard to remember how little they are and how smart, caring, kind, giving, and unselfish they are in all aspects of their life. Of course they have the same issues that other kids their age have...but i could not be more proud or honored to be the mommy to these three amazing angels!!

Woohoo, congrats! Sounds like you have a very bright daughter on your hands!

I'd like to share a funny story about one of mine:

My 5 year old was over her Great Grandma's the other day with my MIL. My daughter walked in on Great Grandma changing her shirt. Her Great Grandmother says "Oh honey, I'm changing" To which my daughter replies "Its okay Abuela, I have breasts too" Great Grandma said she said it with the most serious tone that she did not want to laugh at her but it made her feel better about my daughter walking in on her.

This is a great idea! Oftentimes, we get loaded down with all the negatives and don't remember all the positives in our lifes. Thanks for reminding me!

I'm proud of how independent my almost 3 year old son is becoming. He completely dressed himself this morning and was so proud! (who cares that his shirt was on backwards lol) I proudly took him to daycare with his backward shirt and explained he dressed himself and they made over him too!

I'm proud of my almost 5 year old's writing. She wrote her brother's name last night with noone telling her how to spell it or even the letters in it!

And I am soooo proud of the loving nature of my kids. They both routinely stop doing things to turn to me and say, "Mama, I love you". So glad they are able to feel comfortable enough to express their feelings.

wow, your daughter is amazing!! i hope my son grows up and turns out like that :)
my son is almost 3 months, so he doesn't have much to brag yet. He's been holding his head very well by himself basically since he was born, and can "talk" to his daddy. That's all I got now lol.

Lovely post S.
Our son is the light of our lives.He came into the world smiling and is still smiling.He was so gentle to me as a baby and made those first crazy hormonal weeks an easier ride for me.
He is so independent and smart and very aware of the world around him.He is very clued in and can read people very easy.He is very mature and it seems that he was never really a baby.He would sit there observing his world.
At three he asks us so many questions about everything.He gives lovely hugs and kisses and shows us that he loves that we are his parents. He is great fun to be around and we as a family have lots of laughs.
I am so proud that he chose us as parents and look forward to see how he grows through life.
B. k

I don't understand this post at all. You're telling people who don't have such a perfect child and life as yours to not post and ask for advice or support? I think that's a main purpose of this site... Maybe because your daughter has so many positive qualities, which as Martha said are mainly luck versus because of something you did, you can't understand where other mothers are coming from and how they struggle. So now you're being the critical one. My daughters are fine but I don't brag because any day, the tables can turn and something can happen to change things. An accident and their tests scores plummet because of a brain injury. Or they get involved with someone who's a bad influence and despite all my fantastic mothering, try drugs once but even that one time leads to some horrible outcome. I also don't brag because it reminds some mothers who are struggling with mentally or physically handicapped children how much harder they have to work to make the world ok for their children. It doesn't mean they're not proud of their children's accomplishments and characters and personalities but likely they struggle more than you. And no one is perfect anyway. I think a child growing up with a parent who thinks she is perfect and tells everyone that is in for a rude awakening in the real world someday.

My son has the best sense of humor and respect for science and life. He is a blue belt in Ninjitsu and just started 3rd grade in an Academically Talented class for reading and math/science. My daughter is a perfect balance of beauty, grace and tom boy. She wear princess dresses and plays with toads! She just started 1st grade and reads at about a 3rd grade level. Both are also super artistic. I love my family!!!!!!!

Pam I think when she said, "if you have nothing nice to say to the bragging mom's on this post, then please don't post, if you have too many problems to take a few moments to recognize how perfect and wonderful your kids are, please don't post," she was referring to responses like yours. Just because you don't want to brag on your kids, doesn't mean they aren't great, but if others want to brag on their kids, why the heck should you care enough to tell them that how great their kids are has nothing to do with anything they may have taught them? I think your judgement is sorely misplaced, and that you greatly underestimate the influence of a mother on her child(ren). I feel certain that the purpose of this post was not to make you feel your children are inferior just because they are not special in the same way Summer's are, but to encourage you to take a look at your children and remember how wonderful they are and how thankful you should be to have them. We all need to be reminded every now and then, especially if we are having a tough day with our kids.

And now I would like to brag on my son. He just turned 15 months old, and he is soooo cute! I don't think he is amazingly smarter than other kids his age, but I am amazed at his intelligence. He figured out how to whistle the other day. It's not really a tune, just one note, but figured out how to do it on his own just watching me and my husband whistle. He also likes to play cars. What little boy doesn't right? What's funny is that when he makes the car noise, it's not just a quiet vroom sound.... it's more like a screeching, squealing, screaming sound that gets louder and louder. It cracks me up, even if I have to shoosh him so I can hear the tv or the phone. Lastly, he's got some awesome dance moves, and he knows a good beat when he hears one! He like funk and reggae the most I've noticed. Every few months he comes up with a new dance move. His more recent one is holding the crotch of his pants with one hand and swinging the other while he twists. Sometimes he bends his knees really low and dances up and down really slowly. Haha! I sure do love my kid!

Thank you so much Summer for sharing and encouraging everyone to remember how much they love their kids. I really needed this today when my little boy wouldn't go to sleep for his nap.