My 3TV name is the manic managed mom and boy did the manic managed part fit all of the mothers, fathers, grandmothers and teenagers all weekend who worked very busy volunteer shifts to raise money for youth theatre arts.
Parents, teenagers and friends of the Ahwatukee Children’s Theatre came together to put on six American Girl fashion shows. Completely volunteer-driven, it was a ton of hard work! It was manic at times, but we all managed to pull it off and when I came home with throbbing feet, I was greeted with a sweet surprise from my appreciative daughter….and who knew that our kids actually notice our efforts! As my tired feet limped through the front door, I was greeted with a smiling tween daughter holding this….
I was really surprised and very touched that she was grateful to me for volunteering to help out our local children’s theatre that my daughter cherishes as her favorite extracurricular activity.
So parents out there, if you think that your kids don’t notice the time you take to volunteer, think again. And the same holds true when you send volunteer supplies into your child’s classroom or bake a casserole for a sick friend. Your kids notice that kind of thing. Once I saw this banana-sliced cake creation, I perked up and wore my sore feet and dark eye circles like a badge of honor. I guess it is true that actions speak louder than words and the fact that my little girl noticed and took the time to spell out thank you with cake and banana pieces….well….it encourages me to keep doing the right thing and that is helping out when I can.
And let me end this post by saying that we parents also shouldn’t feel bad when we can’t do those extra helpful things because there is no time or budget left in your household. Put your health and your family’s health first and then if there is a little left-over to help a person or organization in need, give whatever kind of donation you can. You may be surprised by just how much you get back when your child actually notices and says those two awesome words (that you taught your child to say)….thank you. And if you are lucky, you may even get a piece of cake, too 🙂
As parents we lead by example, and it looks to me like you have set a great example and your daughter is following in your footsteps!
That is so wonderful! I’m glad they recognized you and said thanks in such a creative and heartfelt way. It had to make you feel so good. Since my two are still so young I enjoy hearing stories like this of caring and kind teens, it takes away some of the fear of the “ominous” teenage years.