A really important literacy exercise for parents. (It’s so not what you think.)

Hey! It’s Free-for-All Friday! Is everyone in your house standing tall today? Sitting tall? Walking tall? Acting tall?

it's friday picIf not, well, you must have missed this week’s Wacky Wednesday post. And my cheer-along song to help all ages toward boasting each person’s own best! Yes, check out that cheer-along song!

Which reminds me of an aside question posed by a blog follower. Yes, previous posts are, indeed, currently available to you. Just scroll down to read the past two weeks of posts. Then click on “Archives” in the right side column for prior posts.

Okay, on to Free-for-all-Friday’s frolicking fun. You’ll remember that I mentioned yesterday how we’d take yet another look today at recycling. So we will do that….

But…since it’s Friday and only two days yet before Father’s Day, let’s step outside the norm and do something totally different today.

Let’s focus on YOU, the parent or caregiver. WOW! Let’s call today Parent’s and Caregiver’s Day!

Recycle!Now, as I think about parenting and giving care to children, I’m reminded of my own role as a parent, a parent who stands…in time…between my children and my own parent. WOW!

That kind of THINK-THINK-THINKing some years ago took me to thoughts about how parenting roles actually get recycled! WOW!

With those thoughts in mind, I wrote:

Recycled Respect
For years they thought we knew it allmom & girl clipped pic,dad and child's hand pic
for they were short
and we were tall.
And we used words they hadn’t heard,
and met their needs as each occurred:
We answered whys and hows and whens
and helped them make amends with friends.

As years went by, our wisdom waned:
we answered whys, and they complained.
They pushed to have the final word
and liked us to be seen, not heard.children picgrandpa and boy walking pic
No longer did we know it all,
for we were short
and they were tall.

For years they thought they knew it all,
but now they come around or call
to ask us what, or why, or how,
for they’re like us–
they’re parents now.

Copyright © 1993 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz. First published in Grandmother Earth Creations I, 1995.

nurse picAnd still more THINKing about the roles we parents get to play…took me here:

seamstress pic

Nurses nurse
Nurses nurse
and teachers teach
and tailors mend
and preachers preach
and barbers trim
and chauffeurs haul
and parents get to do it all.

Copyright © 1996 Babs Bell Hajdusiewicz
First published in Familiarity Breeds Children, Meadowbrook Press, 1996

WOW! Time to do something real quick-like with me…are you ready?preacher pic

Here’s all you do. Lift either hand up above your head. Now, take that hand around behind your neck to touch the back of your shoulder. Got it there? Okay, now pat that back of yours a few times! We each just gave ourselves a wee bit of thanks for all that each of us does for our child! WOW!

Have a great day TALKing Tall with your child!

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there! And a special shout-out to Nelson and to Tall Paul and Chance who are all celebrating this, their very first Father’s Day as daddies! Double WOW!

Hey! Tune in here on Funday Monday to see what’s up for an all-new week of literacy building with your child!

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