Bragging on "Just Good Kids"

           Yesterday I was talking to a mom of 5 and she was bemoaning how their life has moved from the front yard playing with neighbors to coordinating schedules with her husband so that their school-age kids can make it to softball practice, dance class & karate.  And she said what I thought -- there are so so many choices for kids today when it comes to activities and so many unique ones from Archery lessons to Chess Club to Lego-making classes that we want to be able to say YES to the ones our kids may have their hearts set on and do our best to make it work.  Making it work sometimes means, for her, driving 45 minutes to get her daughter to play practice only to rush back to get her other other daughter to an All-Star Softball practice.  

          We don't have her hectic schedule, or that many kids, so I don't know that I'll ever truly understand her dilemma but she said something else that has stuck with me.  Her kids are great at what they do, and so far one child has always gotten the lead role and another has always been one of the "better" players on the team and another is in GT classes but hear her comment: "I hate that people see only their activities.  I'm proud of their accomplishments, really I am, but no ever posts on Facebook that my kid went to Bible study, church and youth group this week.  Or my kid memorized 10 Bible passages and is trying to read the whole Bible or my kids are really kind to each other and trying to help the neighbor next door make friends."  And while I'm only a ghost on Facebook, I can see her point.

        So that long introduction is only to tell you that today I am going to brag on my good-character kids.  I tend to be a bit critical (people tell me this) so I'm going to wash any unpleasant criticism away and refrain from jokes at the expense of my kids and share that all 3 Ward kids received the Outback SteakHouse Student of the Month (Lydia in October, Elijah in December and Lanie today, for January) which rewards (nope, not great grades) but kids who "show positive character traits (obedient, useful, truthful, big hearted, attitude, cheerful and kindness.)"   Now I could make cracks about which Ward kid demonstrates which character trait when and ponder why I don't see these fantastic behaviors all the time at home, but that would not fit with the vein of this post which is just to say plainly, I'm so proud of my kids and love that their efforts in school don't go unnoticed.