Labels: Spring 2014 Week 4

Labels is on my mind today.

Labels seem to be a very important part of our lives.

We have kids with peanut-allergies at our house, so, reading food labels is an important, even Life-dependent parenting responsibility.

The grocery is full of different labels that aid in Brand identification...

Peanut-Free
Nut Free
Gluten Free
Dairy Free...
Whole Grains
Low Calorie
Low Sugar
No Sugar

I gotta tell you, sometimes its overwhelming, all of these choices and Labels to consider.

Labeling has been a part of my life from a young age.

My sister the Diabetic.

My mom the asthmatic.

My dad the outdoors man...my sister the artist.

My Mom the nurse.

As a teacher, I often hear different labels being applied to children... ADD, ADHD, Learning Disabled, Developmentally-Delayed, Gifted, Aspergers...

Stubborn, OCD, oppositional-defiant.

And then there's assumptions which are really labels in disguise...

She doesn't like to get messy...
He is not artistic...
She doesn't like this...
He doesn't like that...
He's all boy...
She's a girly-girl.

I LOVE glass containers...baby food jars, jelly jars, pretty jars!!

I like to use them at Wonder Studio with paint or watercolors, rice, etc...they make everyday things look even prettier!

BUT...Those glass containers come with those sticky, annoying Labels.


It's interesting how sometimes, the labels just peel right off...

Others seem to really stick and no matter how hard I scrape and scrape, I just can't remove that label.

I hear people often say, "I wish my child came with a Label" or a "How To" guide.

Labels can tell you the ingredients inside of that jar.

And, that can be very helpful to know.

BUT...

The label won't tell you how those ingredients can be combined or used in an infinite amount of different ways.

We must be so so careful with what labels we read to our children about themselves.
Children (and us adults) need to understand that we are more than a label.

Because remember, some of those labels will just wash right away...and others might "stick" with them well into adult hood.

Telling our children who they are and suggesting an infinite number of possibilities is THE most important job we have as parents.

Don't let your children (and yourselves) get bogged down in the "Label".