Kids love being recognized. I think that’s one of the reasons my kids love when I write them mitzvah notes for school. It isn’t the act they did that gets them excited, but the fact that I recognized that they did something helpful and that their teachers and friends will know about it too.
I think adults are the same way. We don’t get mitzvah notes, but we like when our boss/husband/parent/friend/child recognizes when we do something well.
It’s human nature to want to be praised and I think it helps motivate us to continue doing good.
Mitzvah notes are one small way I help my kids gain confidence in themselves. Through the act of sharing their actions, they see that they can do things by themselves.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m far from perfect. I don’t always remember to write notes for my kids and on hard mornings I use them as a bargaining chip, but who doesn’t? They’re young and these things matter to them!
While all my mitzvah notes are 100% true, they aren’t always painting the entire picture of why I’m considering each action one of the greatest mitzvos around. Here are some examples:
DS slept in his bed the entire night. Yay!
{translation: I finally got a good night sleep since I had my entire bed to myself. Yay!}
DS got dressed all by himself!
{translation: DS got dressed without fighting and major hysterics! I barely had to yell!}
DS cleaned up the playroom!
{translation: DS finally picked up 3 toys from the floor after I bribed him with this mitzvah note}
DS helped his brother pick out his clothes/pajamas!
{translation: I finally got someone to help me so I didn’t have to run up and down the stairs a million times while I was trying to do a million other things!}
Anyway, I think you get the point. I’m not a poet and if this is the only area of parenting I’m not perfect in, then I think I’m on the right track!
How do you handle daily mitzvah notes?
Until next time,
Shaindy
