All that babysitting paid off

I babysat on the side in high school, college, and with my first full-time job.  I saw how my parents raised my sisters and me and liked certain pieces.  As I sit down and look at the way I parent, I see some of my mom, some of my dad, and some of the families I babysit for.

From Lori and Tony I learned to talk to my children like people and not like babies and to let my children jump on giant pillows.

From Virginia and Brant I learned how to ask intentional questions and the importance of bedtime reading.

From Tabitha and Josh I learned to read devotionals to children, to play on playgrounds, and that you’re never too young or too old to play board games.

From Lindsey and Ryan I learned to have a stocked snack drawer.

From my dad I learned how to be a social psychologist and to try to use what I know about the past to inform the present.

From my mom I learned how to use a special eat-in-bed table for sick days.

Thank you all for letting me be part of your lives and for modeling to me how to be a good parent!

Published 1/1/2015