A writer inspired by nature and human nature

A child is…

05 23 16

“Protect them, encourage them, love them… Children are like butterflies!” ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Sacred Touches

Screen Shot 2016-05-21 at 11.00.34 PM.png
**Watercolor image found on Pinterest; text box added by Natalie

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Category:

ART, Monarch butterfly conservation, Parenting, Poetry

25 Comments

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Comments on: "A child is…" (25)

  1. kadavis1 said:
    05/31/2016 at 10:08 am

    Beautiful watercolor!

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  2. macjam47 said:
    05/25/2016 at 9:31 am

    A beautiful sentiment.

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  3. noelleg44 said:
    05/24/2016 at 8:48 pm

    I think each child needs to be loved for who they are – they are all different, but each has something unique to offer. My two couldn’t have been more different – succeeding in different arenas, which I loved!

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    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      05/24/2016 at 9:21 pm

      I’m with you, Noelle. My two (adults now) are still as different as sky and earth and bring delight in their own special ways. Blessings to you and yours! 🙂 ❤

      Like

  4. Maniparna Sengupta Majumder said:
    05/24/2016 at 7:27 pm

    Natalie’s posts are always so inspiring… 🙂

    Like

  5. cathleentownsend said:
    05/24/2016 at 1:17 pm

    Gorgeous pic, Bette, and the quote is lovely, too. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

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  6. sjhigbee said:
    05/23/2016 at 10:46 pm

    Amen to that… The trouble with constantly testing children and comparing them – as is a growing trend in schools these days, is that it only gives them a sense of worth if their talents happen to fall within the academic sphere. Those that don’t, for whatever reason, end up feeling inadequate, sad and failures before they even have a chance to know who they are. So very damaging. I speak as a teacher, mother and grandmother a wonderful, very dyslexic little girl:(.

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  7. nataliescarberry said:
    05/23/2016 at 10:25 pm

    Thanks for the reblog, Bette! 🙂 ❤

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  8. James Osborne said:
    05/23/2016 at 7:05 pm

    What a beautiful sentiment!

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  9. Marilyn Armstrong said:
    05/23/2016 at 4:45 pm

    This is a wonderful sentiment, but it is also a problem. The whole “non compete” thing is growing generations of kids who think the real world is like that. Everyone gets a prize for trying hard … or for just showing up. So when they bump into reality and discover it is NOTHING like that … they get angry. They wonder why we lied to them. It’s a good question. Because in the end, children are NOT butterflies.

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    • Bette A. Stevens said:
      05/23/2016 at 7:15 pm

      For me, it’s not about competition. Every child is gifted in his or her own way and as adults, I feel it’s our job to find those gifts and encourage them. Thanks so much for bringing up the idea of a prize for showing up…that is happening and it’s hazardous to the health of our children and our world. I tend to cringe every time I hear the acclamation, “Good job!” It seems to be the politically correct way to encourage kids. It doesn’t work. Kindness and encouraging words that are meaningful do. That’s my perspective as a teacher, grandmother, neighbor and friend. Thanks for adding to the conversation, Marilyn. 🙂

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  10. D. Wallace Peach said:
    05/23/2016 at 4:15 pm

    Lovely image and message, Bette.

    Like

  11. balroop2013 said:
    05/23/2016 at 2:56 pm

    Beautiful thoughts! Love the analogy.

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