M I C H A E L
B . A S I M O R
My son is in 1st grade. He just turned 7. Every morning,
started thinking, oh no, he is getting bullied. I asked
I greet him with a good morning hug, kiss and ask him
him what he did about it? What he shared with me
how he is doing. He answer is consistent almost every
blew me away. He turned to the older boy, and said,
morning. He will say, “I am outstanding!” Everyday
“Why are you doing that? You are better than this.” I
afterschool, when I first see him, I ask him how is day
said, “Wow!” “What did the older boy do?” The older
was and most of the time, his answer was the same.
boy looked at my son and said, “Nobody has ever said
He will say, “It was outstanding!” I remember the first
that to me before.” The older boy left him alone the
few times I heard this answer, I was happy and touched
rest of the morning and for the last two weeks, has
inside. When I was 7, I did not feel outstanding every
been very nice to him.
morning or afterschool.
After my son had shared this with me, I stood up with
This conversation with him and I have been going
tears in my eyes and my heart soared. I picked him
on for about two years now. Almost every morning
up, hugged him and told him how much I loved and
and afterschool, his answer was outstanding. To be
was proud of him. My son then shared with me the
honest, I started wondering if he is giving me a line of
following. “Sometimes, kids don’t always make the best
BS. I started thinking he can’t be outstanding almost
decisions because of what they are feeling,” I said, “Very
every day. Everybody wakes up on the wrong side
true.” “Does that also include you at times?” He said,
of the bed. Everybody has a lousy day.
“Yes.” I said, “Me too.” “Me too.” I took away the follow-
As I mentioned earlier, a couple of weeks ago, my
son came from school. My wife said to him, “Are you
going to tell you dad about your day today?” My first
thought was concern. I wonder what happened at
school? Did he get into trouble? So I got down
on my knees and said, “Tell me about your day?”
He begins to explain about his time in
morning care. Morning care is a place at
his school where parents drop off their
kids before going into work. The lady
that runs morning care watches
them and makes sure they get
to school on time.
That day, he was coloring
on a piece of paper, and
one of the older kids
was giving him a hard
time and drawing
all over his paper.
I immediately
ing lessons from this experience. Lessons because I
have been guilty of these mistakes. Our children are
always listening and learning from us. We owe it to
them to step up and always be an example of possibility and not a warning how to live.
Kids will do things that we don’t want them to do
and say things we don’t want them to say. Instead of
punishing them, yelling at them, or losing control of
our emotions, what if we remind them that they are
better than the way they are acting? Trust that they
know better and are just caught up in the moment. It
is not like we have similar experiences in our lives, right?
I leave you with this. Stay in your heart and not in your
head. Stay in the moment and breathe. Lead your
children by example and trust your children will follow
your lead. We all want our kids to live a better life than
we have lived! The best way for this to happen is to
show up at your best everyday!
All the best, love and be the change you want to see
in the world