I was lucky enough to have exposure to this poem from a very young age. It was engraved into a little wooden picture hanging from my wall when I was growing up. 

Very often as parents, we are in survival mode. We need to get the kids to school on time, get ourselves to work, get homework done, dinner on the table, children bathed, etc, etc, etc. There is not always a lot of time to consider how we respond to our children in stressful situations and how that will impact their well-being. 

Knowing what we want for our children and their future can give us a better perspective when we are in the stressful times. This is a great poem to consider when we think about how to respond to our children while building character. The character traits we model in our everyday lives, including the "stressful" moments, are what develop our children's feelings, behaviors, and self-worth.  

Here are some examples:

CRITICISM VS ENCOURAGEMENT: "You take forever to get ready!"  VS  "We were rushing to get out of the house on time this morning, let's come up with some ways to do better tomorrow morning. We got this!"

RIDICULE VS KINDNESS: "You're going to wear that?" VS "Let's go find something a little more appropriate for the occasion." 

JEALOUSY VS ACCEPTANCE: "Why can't you be more like your sister?" VS "Let's find a way that works for you."

I invite you to read this poem line by line and take it in. Make a list of what you are doing well, and where you could improve. Think about what you want for your child's future. Use this poem as a guide to build strong and meaningful interactions.

Practice creating character traits your children will be proud to have as adults.