simple living. what we say to our children.

There are some things in life that are truly mundane…I keep washing down my hob and thinking about how many times I will do this thankless job over the course of my lifetime. Sometimes I find that overwhelmingly depressing and sometimes just simply overwhelming.

The ordinary.

My children, like most others love the repetition of things. New jokes learned told over and over. Raspberries blown on bellies…over and over. Favourite stories and movies…over and over.
Maybe it’s ingrained into our core.
Creatures of habit, of routine, of rhythm.

But that’s where I have realised I have to be careful. What are the repeats I say or do over and over again to my girls…the words and looks that will sink and settle into their wee souls. 
I want to make them good, and they are not always: we are all human, we speak harsh words, we yell and say things we don’t mean to those we hold closest. 
But the mantras…I want to make them encouraging, affirming, empowering.

So I’m re-evaluating my repeat mode, carefully watching my words and actions with each of my girls.

Our littlest’s (above) favourite mantra with me at the minute is…say it mummy, say it. Say ‘I love you one’.
So we do this little reenactment, often many times a day:

Me:    I love you one.
Her:   I love you two.
Me:    I love you three…
Her    … I love you ten and a thousand and a million and a star. I love you the most.

It doesn’t come more ordinary or more extraordinary than this.
What could be better.

I want my repeat mode to be as good as hers.