in {her} shoes...Deirdre

today's guest post is Dierdre from JDaniel4's Mom.  She hosts an informative link party called Read. Explore. Learn where posts that are linked up are based on books.  There are some cute and educational ideas there every week.

While sandals and flip flops are fun to wear, my summer shoes tend to sneakers that offer my toes protection. My son tends to forget to look down and see if his shoes are going to step on anything and my bare toes seem to be under them often in the summer. Sandals are fun and look so much better than my sneakers with summer outfits, but sneakers tend to keep my toes safe.

Sneakers also keep my feet cleaner. My son loves to play outside in the dirt and summer storm puddles. Joining him in outside play is wet and messy.

What is the most challenging part of being the type of mom I am?

I love to encourage my son to seek the answers to the myriad of questions he has about the world around him. We scour the library of books that will help us find the answers to questions about microorganisms, space, under the sea creatures, etc..

The challenging part isn’t finding answers a four year old will understand it is taking the time to listen to all the questions that he comes up with all day long. Just when you think you have explored every aspect of a topic there are new questions. He is constantly building connections in his find or asking me to help me find ways to build them.

The questions come up at good times and bad. Times like when you are trying to focus on following driving directions, decide what is for dinner, and encourage a small boy to go to sleep are bad. Times when you have arrived at your location, are eating dinner or a small boy gets up in the morning are good.

I want my son to seek knowledge and think about things. Given that he is an auditory learner he tends to process information and ideas orally. It can be hard to ask him hold that thought until later or tell me that mom is overwhelmed with all the words those questions are filled with.

I don’t want him to stop asking questions, but I do want him to learn to file some of his questions quietly in his mind until later.

What is the most rewarding?

I became a mom over the age of forty. Hearing a little boy that for most I my life I never knew I would have call me Mom is the most rewarding thing ever. I am amazed everyday that I gave birth to this incredible little boy.

What do you think are the most important values parents can instill in their children?

My biggest dream for my son is that he will change his world. I don’t mean the whole world although that would be great. I do mean his small part of the world.

Teaching him to care for others who are older, younger, less fortunate, or have special needs is something I am really trying to teach him.

We are working on this by volunteering to do yard work at a children’s home, taking food to the food bank, and donating clothes and toys to a local charity.

Another way we are working on caring for others is talking, reading and being around people that are different that we are.

Sometimes that is planned and other times it just happens. JDaniel noticed a man with warts all over his face at a restaurant on Father’s Day. He wanted to know why he was different. I told him I didn’t know why he had those warts, but I did know he must be a very special man. JDaniel wanted to know why and I asked him to look at the lady who was sitting with him. She was holding one of his hands and having a conversation with him eye to eye. Her eyes were filled with great love. “To have someone love you that much means you have a beauty that you may have to look inside to see,” I told him.

If JDaniel learns that all people have value and treats them with respect, I will be thrilled.

Deirdre Smith

JDaniel4's Mom

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