I snapped this quick photo of my daughter a couple of weeks ago. She usually moves so quickly that it's hard to get a shot that isn't blurry. It was just a casual afternoon at home after I picked her up from Day School, and she was playing, as usual. She picked up her baby doll, baby's accessories, and placed her in the baby doll's stroller, proceeding to then push her around the house. I kept on with my work, popping my head up from my laptop every few minutes to check in and make sure S was okay, and enjoying herself.

A few minutes went by, and then S was at my side, clutching her baby doll, hugging it tightly. 'Shh... it's okay, baby,' she whispered sweetly. 'Is baby okay,' I asked. 'No, she has a tummy ache,' S answered. S then explained that her sweet little baby needed to cuddle, which of course was code for S wanting to cuddle with me. So we sat on the couch together, snuggled under a blanket, and cuddled up, baby in tow. I hugged my girl, and she hugged her baby. S asked to nurse and insisted that she nurse her baby, too. We wrapped baby in her own little blanket and sang her sweet songs, and read baby a story. It was so sweet.

I'm witnessing my daughter act and talk the ways that my husband and I do. Our son? Well, that's a story for another day. Sometimes the ways my kiddos act aren't so nice, and some of my words come back to haunt me through my innocent two-year-old and eight-year-old. My Gram used to sing me the song, 'Oh, be careful little eyes what you see... oh, be careful little ears what you hear, oh, be careful little mouth what you say.' This simple children's song now plays almost constantly in my mind, reminding me to 'watch it' because children pick up on so much more than we realize. I want the example I set forth before my kids to be one of love. I want the words I speak to be those which speak life. 

I know that when my daughter role-plays, she's often acting out some of our best qualities and personality traits as parents, but there have certainly been some surprising moments along the way, too. My prayer is that we as parents will remember that there are little eyes and ears all around us and that the greatest thing we can do is strive to live like Jesus taught us to. 

Don't forget to let your love shine for your kids (and the world) to see!

Have you ever regretted something your kids heard you say or saw you do? Been there, friends!

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