A proud parenting moment

Today was a good day. Not only being the day before Christmas, but also a proud parenting moment or two. Our church here gives out prizes the Sunday before Christmas for Sunday School for the children. There are two categories. One is for perfect attendance during the year, and one is for an exam they conduct a few weeks earlier. No idea what is included in the exam, but there is apparently an exam.

This year, both of our kids got perfect attendance prizes. They were, much to our surprise, the only kids in the younger age group to receive this prize. They both ran up to the front to receive their ‘Champions’ (what they call a trophy or plaque) from one of the church elders. Huge grins covered their faces as the whole church clapped for them.




Then just a moment or two later, it was time for the prizes for the exam. My son got third prize for the exam in the younger age group. He again quickly ran to the front to receive his ‘Champion’ from the church elder, again beaming with joy that the whole church was clapping for him. He ran back and proudly held on to his two ‘Champions’.

As parents we cherish these times. There are many times where you wonder if you are making a total mess of your kids, or if anything you are trying to teach them or train them in is really sinking in. And then times like this come, where you can enjoy, even just for a minute, the joy of seeing your child revel in the realization that they did something good, and others appreciated them for it.

Makes me wonder if kids need to be getting more ‘Champions’ more often to encourage them in the things they do right. And there is little doubt that we need to be clapping for our kids more often than we do.