Page 21 - Perfect Parents, Perfect Children, and Other Fairy Tales

eyes. I was saddened to hear that so many of them
had felt like someone had criticized them for their

singing. It might have been correction rather than
criticism, but that was how they perceived it.

As parents, we sometimes feel like we need to
correct everything our children do. That’s not the
case. Children need to hear us praise them to others.

Sure, it’s great to brag about our children, but how
much better would it be if we talked about them in
positive terms to others when they could hear us?

My mother-in-law comes over for dinner every

Sunday. We enjoy the conversation, and she loves
eating a meal that she doesn’t have to cook. The
children tell her of their latest accomplishments,

she discusses what is going on in her life, and we
all spend the evening together.

While she is there she tells us about what her other
grandchildren are doing. One might have gotten the
lead in a play, another is taking violin lessons. Still

another started college and is doing very well.

We love hearing about them all and what they are
doing, but I selfishly wished she would talk about
our children more. After all, we all love to know

that someone notices the good things that we do.

Then one day I was talking to my sister-in-law, and

she told me something that made me giggle. She
told me that the last time Grandma visited them, she

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