How Much Do I Love Thee...

I wrote this poem straight from my heart -- just a written expression of my love for my two wonderful boys. Someday, i wish they will have a glimpse of this post, so they would know how much I love them and how much happiness and color they have brought in my life…


The first time I saw you,
my heart was filled with so much joy.
I felt so blessed that God gave you to me.
You were His very special Gift that completed me...
When I held you close to mine,
It seemed that your heart beats with mine...
From that very moment,
I committed myself to love you,
to take care of you,
to protect you -- until my last breath...

Remember when you had your first step?
I guided you until you gained your balance.
At times that you fell but I didn't pick you up,
I wanted you to learn standing by your own.
I wanted you to grow up strong, dependable, and responsible...
But remember –-
when you stumbled so hard and couldn't stand by yourself,
I never wasted any second to carry you back home.
Because I love you... I love you... I love you...

Remember when you had your first day in school?
I took you to your second home but only stayed for awhile.
I wanted you to learn adopting new things by your own.
I wanted you to grow up with confidence,
To create friendships, to discover new things...
But remember –-
when you had hard times to comprehend with these things,
I never wasted any moment to explore each with you.
I will never, ever get tired to guide and guard you.
Because I love you... I love you... I love you...

Time will pass and you’ll see a wider world.
Yes, I will let you fall in love.
I'll let you shed a tear too...
I want you to learn from life.
For feeling pain will teach you giving more importance to laughter.
I want you to discover God's wonders to deepen your faith...
But remember –-
If there’ll be times that you can't hold your tears back,
I will wipe each drop for you.
I will embrace you so tight
To let you feel how special you are.

And if at some point, you’ll be in your deepest hour,
And you’ll need me to be with you…
Just to stay by you...
I'll never ever hesitate…

Just like when you’re still a baby,
I'll hold you next to mine,
I'll embrace you with all my love,
I'll let you feel how happy I am to have you
Because you are God's gift to me,
And that you completed me...

And I will kiss your forehead and tell you,
how very proud I am to have you...

I'll never leave your side –-
Until my last breathe...
Even beyond…

Because I love you…I love you... I love you...

Our Little "Helpers" on Housework

Getting the entire family to help with housework can be quite challenging. But teaching our kids the importance of cooperation and the effects of doing or not doing his/her own tasks is essential because in this way, we can inculcate to them the sense of self-responsibility.

Here are some tips on making our little "helpers" work more organized.


MAKE A LIST OR CHART OF TO-DOS.
Either assign or ask volunteers for different tasks. You may also create job charts that kids can check out for their respective tasks. Color-code your charts just like teachers do in school. Organize tasks and prioritize what to accomplish daily, weekly, or monthly. Set a time frame.

SET UP A FAMILY COUNCIL ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AND WHY.
Point out why everybody benefits from doing chores together. Give pep talks on why everyone needs to help out. Find out what interests each family member. If one enjoys cooking, then assign it to that child.

GIVE AGE-APPROPRIATE TASKS.
Chores should increase in difficulty as the child gets older. Younger children have poor fine motor skills, so don't assign tasks requiring small-muscle coordination. A toddler could be trained to pack away toys, and older kids to wash the rice for dinner.

PUT FUN INTO HOUSE CHORES.
Play a game of cleaning up. You may have two baskets ready for kids to separate the white and colored clothes into. Ask children to pair socks off in a same/different game while singing. Try color-coding hangers, letting kids categorize the clothing to be hung.

GIVE PRAISE AND REWARD.
Recognize the effort of everyone who helps out. This builds self-esteem and motivates them to do their best. Provide a family day-off treat if they manage to keep th house spic and span.


Truly, teaching values to our kids is best when started off young. At the end of the day, let's just remember that our housework "helpers" are still "little" so set realistic expectations for what has to be accomplished by each member. Perfection takes practice and practice takes time.


Source: an excerpt from "Cinderella Moms", written by Alice Bustos Orosa of Smart Parenting