Character

On a side note, it's been a while since I've written.. life has been incredibly busy. To be honest, I don't remember when my last entry was... but I guess that when one has five children, things tend to speed up and blur. Yay for excuses?

Anyway -

It is 4:30am right now. I have had a headache all day and was unable to sleep. I got up and started sorting through the clothes my children have outgrown and I went through bags of clothes that they now fit. I was lost in thought a few times about how much they've grown, how far they've come, and where they're going.

After sorting and cleaning a little, I sat down at my computer. My screen saver is a slide show of the pictures in my folder labeled "all kids" so I get to see alllllll the way from when my oldest was a newborn up to present pictures. I probably sat her for 20 minutes, just watching away. It made me think and reflect even further.

All in all, I was able to see throughout the years that my children were loving toward each other. There are times when us mothers (and fathers) doubt the effectiveness of our parenting... whether or not we are doing a good "enough" job. The visual confirmation to me that I am succeeding as a parent was portrayed in those photos. Smiling, hugging, kissing, loving children toward each other.

Sometimes having a perfectly behaved child or one that is a genius is not what the definition of success in child-raising is. Character is a huge factor, if not the most important, in success in life.

So to you mommies (and daddies) out there - love your kids. Teach them to love each other. Teach them respect, honesty, integrity. Teach them patience and allow them to experience disappointment. But more than anything, teach them through your example.

At the end of the day, you are not going to be thinking about the trophies and awards that your children have accumulated... but the character that makes them. Build them up, and they will keep you going!