Loving our children

– I tell Kayla I love her every single day. Multiple times a day.

– I hug and kiss Kayla every day.

– I cherish every second I spend with my daughter, even when she is yelling,
screaming, and having tantrums.

– I try to include Kayla in most things I do, whether it’s going shopping, out
to lunch with a friend, or running errands. She is my side kick.

– I try to find entertaining and educational things to do with Kayla all the time
so that she is able to experience life hands on.

– I read to Kayla daily, take her to the library to check out books, and take
her to storytime.

– I take Kayla to classes, like dance, so that she is able to get out and interact
with other kids her age.

– I do craft projects, play games, sing songs, and dance with Kayla and my nephew
whenever I get a chance, which is a lot.

– I take the time to teach Kayla as much as I can, but within reason for her age.

– I teach Kayla manners, and try to teach her to respect others.

– I show Kayla compassion so that she will be able to show others compassion.

– I show Kayla how to nurture, so that she is able to nurture others.

– I make Kayla my top priority.

– I show Kayla every day that I am here for her, and will always be here for her
as long as it is within my power to be here.

– I spend as much time with Kayla as I possibly can and only take the “me time”
I feel that I absolutely need. Being with her is more important to me than going
out to do the things I did when I was younger. I lived that life, and now my life
is different…better. I CHOOSE to spend time with my daughter.

– I live my life in a way that I will have as little regrets as possible if
something unexpected were to happen.

– Life is too short. Spend it with the people who matter most to you. Kayla is
number one on my list and she will always know that.

– I cherish this time I have with Kayla while she is young because I understand
that as she gets older she won’t want to spend as much time with me. Again, no
regrets.

– I don’t care/worry about what other people think I should be doing, or how they
think I should be living my life. I live my life doing what makes me happy.
Being a mom makes me happy. Being with my daughter makes me more happy than I
have ever been.

– I try to stay close to my daughter so that if an emergency ever does happen, I
am able to be there for her. Be there with her. I would never want to have
something happen to her and not be able to be there by her side.

– I try to teach Kayla to be safe. People tend to forget that children die every
day from careless mistakes, accidents, cancer, sickness, murders, etc. We never
know how long we have with our children. It is part of our jobs as parents to do
whatever we can to try to keep them safe, and to be there with them if something
bad does happen.

– It is up to the parent to determine what is best for their child. Make good
decisions when your child is concerned.

– Consider homeschooling as an option, if you are able to do it. Why send your
kids to school to be taught by strangers and influenced by kids you don’t know,
when you can teach your kid the same things at home? You can provide your kid
with social interaction and group involvement in other ways. You can make daily
hands on learning available to your child with one on one attention by you. Who
better to teach our children than their own parents? There are resources available,
and homeschool groups/co-ops. Look into it. You may be surprised by what you
learn.

– I make an effort to create memories and traditions with Kayla. I want the time
we spend together to be special. I want holidays to have meaning. And I want
Kayla to have wonderful family memories.

– Take lots of pictures. Our memories fade over time. Make sure those memories
will be able to live on.

– Follow your gut. If your gut is saying something doesn’t feel right, then listen
to it. Other people’s opinions are simply that…opinions.

– Let’s all take the time to put our kids first and make sure that there are changes
taking place to make this country a safer place again. You can’t make a difference
if you don’t do anything…or if you try to pretend nothing bad happens. Bad
things happen all the time and can happen to any of us.

– I have had a lot of loss in my life, and have known a lot of people who have had
horrible things happen to them, to family members, and to friends. None of us
should be under the impression that bad things only happen to other people.

– Remember what is the most important thing to you. There may not be a tomorrow.

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