Today is my oldest 12th birthday.  Yes he is now a dozen years old and the last 12 years flew by fast.  But the one characteristic that he shows on a daily basis is his caring for others.

Showing that you care about others does not make you a weak or easy target for people to take advantage of.  It shows that you are a strong person that is not selfish towards others.

Others will look up to you as a good person and someone that they can go to if they need help with anything.  At least that is what it felt like when I was growing up.

It’s a way to help a kid with his confidence as well as a way to build each other up and support each other in the time of need.  I had a few friends as a child that was there in a time of need in my life and I was there for them.

This is one of the characteristics I teach my kids and so far it is the best one besides being nice and greeting everyone with a smile.  It makes me proud when they show caring for others as well as towards their siblings.

What is one of the main characteristics you were taught growing up?  What is the first characteristic did you teach your child or children?  There is no right or wrong answers for these questions.

Feel free to leave your answer in the comments and I will respond to the questions you have.

A to Z Challenge
Letter C

I love to bake things and I’m pretty good at it as well.  I can bake from scratch or from a tube or box.  This is one of the things my mom taught me while I was growing up as well as my grandmother.

My kids are now getting to the age I was when I started to learn how to bake.  Since their ages differ, I will give each one a job that I was learning at that age.

The first thing I baked with my kids was Chocolate Chip Cookies.  It was something that was pretty easy to make and it didn’t cause too much grief if they decide to run off and leave it to me to finish.

To my surprise, they all stayed with it to the end.  I had each one put an ingredient into the bowl and they all took turns stirring them together.  I did the eggs and have them watch me how to crack them.  Then they helped make the right size balls to put on the cookie sheet and then I put them into the oven for the right amount of time.

They helped me put them on a cooling rake and about 20 minutes later they had a warm treat right before they go to bed.  They all had fun and felt proud of their ability to help out.

I was one proud dad and while we did this, I felt we bond more as a family.  I had a chance to do an activity with my kids that I enjoy as well as a teaching moment with them.  It was a fun time as well as a good treat afterwards.

Have you ever baked with your kids help?  What type of experience did you have with it?  Feel free to leave your answer in the comments and I will respond to the questions you have.

A to Z Challenge
Letter B