Kids Worth Bragging On

Sure, all parents want to brag on their kids.  It's sort of a selfish pride thing.  The truth is, and I have been guilty of this in the past, we make our kids out to be better than they really are.  We want to see them as perfect and smart and talented and everything we wish could have been but weren't.

And that, my friends, is a parent's right.

But every now and then, your kids do something that is so good, you keep your mouth shut and let other people brag.

Kenna had that kind of day last week.  She has been doing well in Kindergarten, and last week she received the responsibility of being the class monitor (or "in charge of the class" as Kenna put it) while the teacher stepped out.  She has become a responsible little girl, and someone else noticed it.

This week at gymnastics, she showed improvement there as well.  Here is here back bend:

Also at gymnastics this week, Leslie did this:

It was her first time to try, and she worked and worked a dozen or so times until she got it.

But that is not the most brag worthy thing.  No, that came later.

Leslie has asthma.  It's not bad, but it gets kicked up real bad when she does lots of exercise.  Like this (with a little brag worthy shot of Kenna's beam work):

She came out to us, not breathing well, and we had forgotten her inhaler.  Bad parents.  Slowly we got her calmed down and told her to go back out and just sit with the team, no push to work out.  Soon, she was working out again.  It was clear the coaches were not pushing her, it was all her.

After practice, we were paying for something at the front counter, and one of the coaches caught us and said, "Thank you!"

"For what?" we asked.

"For whatever it is you do that gives her such a great attitude.  She is the only one who smiles through conditioning.  She is so mature and such a hard worker.  She has a great attitude."

Another coach chimed in, "And tonight, she kept trying to work out even when she couldn't breathe.  The other kids had to tell us.  She works so hard."

I can't speak for Kristin, but there was at least a tiny tear in my eye.  I know how special my kids are, and I sometimes brag a little too much.

But when other adults are so impressed with my kids, I can't help but blast the brag horn loud.