Celebrating Your Child's Successes

By Janet Lombardi

	A Simple Celebration When 13-year-old Jamila's photograph won honorable mention in her county's art show, she and her mother celebrated with an afternoon out. They drove to a nearby town, walked around, browsed the CD store, and had tacos for lunch. Jamila appreciated the time and attention. So will your child!

As Girl Scouts celebrates its 93 birthday on March 12, girls and volunteers honor the milestone with parties, songs, community service projects, and dedications. Why not celebrate your daughter's milestones, achievements, and successes, too?

Here are tips for acknowledging successes big and small:

• Go out! Honor your child's successes such as getting a good grade, having braces removed, or submitting an entry to the science fair with an outing of your child's choice. You can keep it modest by giving it a dollar cap, but give your daughter the choice of where to go. Remember, a child's achievement doesn't have to be ground-breaking to be celebrated.



• Plan an activity. Tackle a puzzle together, play chess or checkers, or learn to knit. To have it feel like a celebration, put out funny party hats, a homemade banner, and snacks.



• Throw a party! Recognize a milestone like a school graduation this spring with a gathering of family and friends but add a twist. If your daughter loves sports, get everyone involved in a sports trivia game. Or play a sport together.



• Start a tradition. Transform celebrations of success into rituals. One group of friends celebrates the first and last day of school every year by going for ice cream at a local restaurant. The children order the largest group dessert (equivalent to the kitchen sink), divide it up, then enjoy. This ritual makes the first day of school a celebration, and the last day a way to connect before summer starts.



• Memorialize it. Acknowledge your daughter's milestone by taping congratulatory messages from family and friends, like they do at weddings. Or, present her with a scrapbook of photos, drawing, poems, or other written wishes. These make great keepsakes.



• Hang it up! Create a simple "Ten Things We Love About You" poster. It's perfect for any occasion, big or small—or for no occasion at all.

More Ways to Honor Your Child's Successes

• Plant flowers or a tree together
  
• Present her with a poem or song
  
• Together, cook her favorite food or dessert
  
• Slip a note into her lunch bag or under her pillow saying how proud you are of her
  
• Create a "wall of fame" somewhere in your home for display of art work, awards, certificates of achievement, or anything else your child is proud of
  
• Tell her often how much you love her just the way she is

Check out your daughter's Girl Scout handbook for other celebration suggestions.