They pick out their own clothes and put them on. I could say this is to foster creativity or individuality or a sense of independence but really I think I am just lazy. Once I see they can even half way get dressed alone or the first time they show interest in what shirt to wear well, now they get to do it every day. Honestly, most of the time they do a good job, but sometimes people comment on how their shoes are on the wrong feet, their shirt, or pants are backwards and then tell me like I don't have eyes and can't see for myself what my children look like. Yeah well, my just barely 2 -year-old picked out his whole outfit and put his shoes on by himself, I think that is pretty good-especially since I didn't have to do it- and if it doesn't bother him then it doesn't bother me. Of course, sometimes when they pick out their clothes they just make everyone's day. Like when they wore super hero outfits to church, Target, the store, the library, and to pick Jack up from school. I think they made 200 people smile just by being kids.
We went to a children's museum where you can draw on your face or have an adult do it for you. Again, my kids ran over there and just started coloring their face in like it was a blank sheet of paper. Other people were turning their kids into butterflies, lions, or something else very recognizable. Now if I could draw and if my kids were totally different people then this probably would have been us too, but like I said, I am a bit lazy, so I just watched from afar as they went at it.
My do it for yourself parenting has perks because we refuse- ok I refuse- to carry my kids around or push them in a stroller once they are fully capable of walking any distance at all. Yes, sometimes it is slower, but it pays off because my kids can walk and I don't have to do anything!! Occasionally, when Thomas was still 1 I pulled out the stroller because I thought we may need it, but it ended up getting in the way far more often than being useful. This mentality may come from the fact that I do actually carry my children in a baby bjorn from the day we leave the hospital until they are 1ish, so perhaps I feel like I have carried them enough. No matter the reason it makes our walks these days awesome! I will add as a disclaimer that Luke didn't walk any distance at all until he was around 2 and it should be noted that he continues to have the most difficult time walking. His little brother was passing him up big time on the trails. Poor guy.
So sometimes I think my 'lazy' method of parenting really pays off but not everyone thinks so. I get all kinds of looks because my kids aren't always in a cart, or because I let Jack run around the store picking out things on my shopping list, or because when I am checking out they might be off looking at Redbox or trying to get free money out of the ATM. They are loud, they do run around, and they talk pretty freely about things, but my way is just different than yours. It isn't right and it isn't wrong. It works for us and that is what really matters. So if you are at the store and you see two or three loud boys don't worry I will be there in a second to make sure they aren't knocking people or things down.
