Pay It Forward

I've been thinking lately about one of the Waldorf early childhood tenets: that the "teacher" should be a constant role model, emulating the actions and behaviors that he or she wants the children to imitate. I was thinking about all the wonderful, homemade food that friends dropped off after A's birth, and I decided this morning that I'd talk to M about the concept of "paying it forward." This morning she helped me to prepare a dinner for a friend who is feeling a bit crummy during the first trimester of her pregnancy, and I talked about all the friends who brought food to us and how nice it is to do something special for another friend in need. (Plus it fits in with my new mission to embrace all-things-homemaking!)

I don't claim to be a perfect role model for my kids, particularly before my morning (or afternoon) coffee sets in, but helping the kids to understand and appreciate friendship and neighborliness is very rewarding.