Tell me, Mummy, Are We Rich?
She asked; I tried to be bold
Her simple question
My 4-year-old daughter asked me this morning as we were heading to kindergarten. What a great question from such a tiny human. Her younger sister was loudly explaining something in the backseat. I was driving and thought, This is my moment to teach her something meaningful. (FYI, these moments are my everything)
So I told her: You can be rich in many ways — in your mind, heart, and, of course, pocket.
I couldn’t finish my “lecture” because we arrived, but I know what I want to pass on to her:
- Critical thinking,
- Resilience,
- Self-love,
- Compassion toward others, and
- The gift of speaking foreign languages.
Finding Flexibility in Values
I’m not a huge fan of capitalism or consumer culture. Maybe it’s because I attended a Calvinist high school, where values, faith, and community were the foundation of our daily lives. Back then, I didn’t realize how much this perspective would guide me through life, but after becoming a mother, it has become my compass when I think about raising my kids.
Today, there are so many parenting approaches: gentle parenting, positive discipline, attachment parenting — complete with scripts and guidelines for raising children.
Each promises a pathway to raising kind, compassionate, self-aware kids. But I’ve come to believe that following one specific approach too rigidly can feel limiting. These methods often set narrow paths, and stepping off them can feel like a failure — like your child won’t turn out “right.”
For us, as generational cycle-breakers, this can become a trap. These parenting styles offer promises we’ve yet to see fulfilled, but to achieve their goals, they come with very specific “rules.”
Instead, values are a broader, more flexible framework. They give us a clear direction while allowing us to adapt our actions and words to what works best for us.
Don’t get me wrong — I identify with aspects of these parenting styles, but I don’t believe they should be our only frame of reference.
What It Means to Choose
When I think about being “rich,” I think about richness in my choices, in my words, in living my emotions. I feel rich because I can choose what’s best for my family.
Have you ever had a special moment like this — a chance to verbalize your values? What are the values you hope to pass on to your children?
