Imperfect Parenting Results

A story of kids and artwork

My daughters and I love to create art. We've been having "Art Class" time together for years now and always enjoy it.

Today my Aunt came over for a Painting Date which I love, because since baby, getting to do art with my girls has been few and far between.

My husband was home so he took care of the baby and I got to sit down with my daughters and Aunt and paint UNINTERRUPTED (yaaaayyyyy! :D ) We all picked different objects to paint, sunglasses and my coffee mug for my eldest, blocks for my second child, potatoes for my Aunt, and I picked the half of a lemon off the counter.

My lemon

The next hour was filled with us all sitting at the dining room table together pouring over our objects and line by line and stroke by stoke putting them down on the page. We each looked at each others and chatted along the way.

My Aunt commented on how good my daughters drew. That there angles and curves of the objects showed they had art classes. I beamed as I recalled the early years of our art classes...

I was too anal. Honestly. We used to sit down and all draw the same object together and I would instruct them, yes, but I also tended to exasperate my oldest who didn't follow my directions exactly. I remember being too critical on how they curved the angle of a vase, or the line of a building. I remember being a very imperfect teacher and often made the experience a lot less fun than it could've been.

Then I look at today and the results of the years of work. Not just the work of "that angle curves like this" but the years of working to LET GO, relax, and teach instead of just instruct. 

Today when my middle child got frustrated with the blocks she was drawing, I went along beside her and helped draw the second block and then handed it back over to her to finish. When my eldest was done drawing my coffee mug I praised her over the added details and embellishments she added.

My daughter's drawing of my coffee mug.
I got to watercolor paint it when she was done.

I've grow. I've learned along the way to let go and have more fun. Yes, my kids have learned despite my lacks and I'm grateful for that but over the years I've learned that coming beside my kids as I teach is must more effective and relational (which to me is the real goal) then telling them what they do and insisting they can do it on their own.

Today, painting with my girls and my Aunt made me smile. Made me recall, and made me see how far we've grown and what beauty there is in learning and growing together.

We're not perfect, we can't be, but we can always keep learning and growing together. You are an amazing Mom! Keep up the good work.

Much love,

-Joy