There are some great blogs out there and today as I was checking out a photography one that I love called Paint the Moon she mentioned a blogger who has been trying her best to be a ‘hands-free mom‘ (spending time with her children face to face when they are around instead of checking emails, on the phone, etc).  It’s a really interesting and I think so many times we, as parents, don’t even realize what we are doing.

Anyways, this mom wrote about Six Words You Should Say . . . and it totally made sense to me, as a mom of three and as a music teacher.

“I love to watch you play.”

There are many times when my children struggle in what they are doing – whether it be learning how to throw their first fastball, shooting a 3 pointer, catching the ball with their glove, batting for their first time or practicing their music.  I know that so much of the time I’m trying to help them improve their skills, being the parent telling them to “watch the ball“, “you can do it“, “put your elbow out“, and being the parent telling them to “watch your dynamics“, “you missed that note“, “try it again“.  There definitely is a time and place for those encouraging and helpful messages – and I won’t be stopping anytime soon, but . . . as I reflected on even this past month, how many times have I told my kids “I love to watch you play“.

When the kids’ grandparents came down for a visit I saw my daughter’s expression when they told her those six words to her after hearing her practice her piano.  She beemed – and she kept on playing.  I’ve watched my husband say those words and suddenly another child is begging to play the piano too – that it’s THEIR turn now.

Those are very powerful words and I think that sometimes we, as parents, need to look at what our children are actually accomplishing and let them know, in words, how proud we really are of them.  And sometimes maybe it just takes those six little words . . .

“I love to watch you play”