Good Job, Madeline!

We try as much as we can to practice positive reinforcement. And I think it really helps. So Madeline often hears "Good job!" when she says please and thank you without prompting, or she picks up her toys, or eats all of her vegetables.

The funny thing about it is, she has no problems telling herself "Good job, Madeline!" When she puts something in the trash or gets into her car seat by herself, she will tell herself that she has done a good job. It is adorable.

But it gets me to thinking. At what point do we quit telling ourselves we have done a good job? When do we start to become our own worst critic?

I can think of many times when I have done things or received complements on something and I think to myself "I could have done that better" or "It's not really important." Why do I never tell myself "Good job!"?

I have done things that I am proud of. I recently made a couple of Christmas gifts that I think turned out very well. But I still find fault with them.

Is is the fact that we are taught as children not to brag?

Or is it the fact that often our accomplishments as wives and mothers go unnoticed? Someone told me the other day that if the kids are still alive at 5 o'clock, I've done my job. I'm certainly a better mother than that. Generally at the end of the day Madeline is fed, bathed and playing happily with her toys. Why do I not then at the end of the day tell myself "You're a great mother!"?

Some days I think we should all strive to be more like our children than have our children be like us.

A Little Engineering Humor

I thought I would share a few jokes with everyone. The sad part about it is I can identify with some of them...

To the optimist the glass is half full. To the pessimist the glass is half empty. To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

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Normal people believe if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features.

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There was an engineer who was sentenced to die by guillotine along with a priest and a doctor. They walked to the village square and mounted the steps to The Madame, saw the blade poised high above, ready to drop when triggered.

The priest said "I am a man of God. I will go first as an example and to give courage to others. But I want to die on my back facing my Lord."

So they put him on his back, and the blade swished toward his neck. But a couple of feet from the bottom, it stopped. The crowd cheered wildly. "It's a miracle! Let him go!" So since he had satisfied the law, and they were really afraid of miracles, they cut him loose and he descended the steps.

Next came the doctor. He thought maybe the same would work for him, and he asked to be on his back and they complied. The blade swished down and stopped a couple feet from the bottom. Again the crowd called for his release. "Another miracle!"

So the engineer asked to be on his back. Just before the executioner triggered the release, he said "Wait a minute! I think I see the problem."

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