The Little Victories

Today my son and I took an hour out of our morning and went to watch my daughter’s kindergarten Field Day. Because a letter and an e-mail went out reminding parents about the event and that the relay races would begin at 11:00, I expected the playground to be littered with parents. Most of the moms I know are stay-at-home moms, and Field Day struck me as a mom Mecca. Instead, what I found was a sea of six year olds with just a few scattered moms who had volunteered to run stations.

As the relay races were about to begin, a few other parents trickled onto the field and sat with another mom and I. My daughter had spent the entire evening last night wondering if her class had a chance to win and sharing her concerns that the a specific class who “wins everything” would win again. Did I mention that my daughter runs like Phoebe on Friends? As a parent, the best thing I could do was to tell her to try her best, have fun, and not be upset if her class did not finish first.

But they did finish first.

There I sat like a soccer mom on speed, yelling and clapping with Emma’s friend’s mother, cheering as though it was the final event at the Olympics.

It’s a little victory, but to Emma, it meant everything.

Parenting is the same way – it’s the little victories that mean everything.

Last week my daughter purchased lunch at school for only the second or third time, and she went with instructions to get orange slices, or carrot sticks, or applesauce, in that order. What she found when she got to the cafeteria was that the choices were actually red Jello, green Jello, or fruit salad. Not only did she choose fruit salad, but she looked closely first to check if, in her words, “it was in real fruit juice and not that bad-for-you syrup stuff.”

She’s six, and already I can tell that she’s listening. She’s remembering. I’m finding little parenting victories.

Yes, it was just fruit salad – in real fruit juices – and yes it was just the kindergarten relay race…but it meant everything…

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8 Comments

  • @lsas1

    What a refreshing post! Thanks for sharing!!

  • Kate Thorp

    Amy, I loved your post. It truly is the little things. BTW, we have field day coming up next week.

  • Stefanie

    What a terrific post!! I agree, it's the little things that count the most.

    Thanks for sharing this…

  • Xmas Dolly

    Yes, it truly is the little things that count, and woo hoo they came in first! That's so cool! What the heck what's wrong with these other Mom's. You know if you can't make send somebody else maybe. Like an uncle or aunt or favorite cousin.

  • LoveFeast Table

    It is the little things! I think they may not remember every event we attend…but, they will remember the ones we didn't.

  • A. Smith

    Haha… a soccer mom on speed, too funny! Kudos for your daughter making the right selection. I bet 9 out of 10 kids would have went with the jello.

  • Zelma

    Excellent read! I feel the same way about my son & parenting. Thanks for sharing this story, you have a very smart daughter! 🙂

  • andrea

    yay for parenting victories! those are the best.