Raising Good Little People

At BlogHer ’11, I met two moms who started a company that I found totally fascinating: The Mother Company. They’re working hard to give parents the tools to raise socially and emotionally strong children (focusing on ages 3-6). Not only does it sound good, I’ve absolutely loved everything I’ve discovered on their site. Each time they have a new article (most of which cover important parenting topics from an expert’s point of view), I can’t wait to read and share it. And their video, Ruby’s Studio: The Feelings Show is a favorite of my boys when they’re having a tough time. (More to come next week on their latest video about friendship.)

So, when they reached out to ask if I’d like to join their team, I was thrilled and honored. Every now and then I’ll be interviewing experts and featuring topics that I think are important as a mom. (Please feel free to reach out to me with ideas/concerns/hopes/etc.) Today my first article is live! A little story to introduce it…

Over the break, my kids and I spent a lovely day with my mom at the Lawrence Hall of Science. At one point, we got on the elevator with a severely impaired man and his helper friend. My mom looked him in the eye and said, “Great hat! Go Giants!” He lit up with pride while his friend said, “You should see his room. It’s all Giants stuff!” My boys, who also love the Giants, were smiling and we all started chatting about our local heroes.

Multiple times since then, Big has said, “Remember that guy who loved the Giants? I wonder if he heard about x today.” Or, “I’m wearing my Giants shirt today. I bet that man who has a hard time and loves them would like this shirt.”

I absolutely love that my mom helped Big make a friendly connection with someone who might have seemed a bit intimidating to him (though watching my dad and being a part of the full-inclusion kindergarten class, he’s already more accepting of differences). And, it was a great lesson for me too. You see, my dad was always known for being especially kind and warm to people with disabilities. And my mom, who’s never been given that same credit, most certainly deserves it too.

As I was listening to my mom, I kept thinking it was as if she’d read this article already. I hope you’ll read it and share these important lessons with your family: Teaching Compassion for Disability