Closing Words
Memories of my children have always been my golden treasures when I
write children’s stories. Every time I dig out some event from my children’s
childhood, I discover something new, something I did not see in the past,
something I overlooked. Now I can honestly say that over the years, the best
lessons I learned were the ones that my children taught me. These lessons
helped me to raise my girls into determined and ambitious young women, and
I hope they will help other parents too.
Writing “Runaway Clothes,” I saw a great opportunity to help families
learn how to deal with an issue that drives every parent crazy. Going back in
time, I always analyze my behavior and reactions that taught my children and
me great lessons. Now, looking back on their mischievous misbehavior and
the rules I tried to apply, I see things that I wish I had done differently. Like
many parents, I naively thought I would have perfect children, just as I saw on
the front page of parenting magazines—happy, smart, and well-behaved. The
reality proved me wrong. There is no perfect child or parent. Parents and
children learn from each other on a daily basis. Raising my girls, I learned
that not every rule is written in stone, and that sometimes, unplanned
lessons are the best teachers.
The older I get, the more memories I collect. Some of them vanish with time,
but some never leave. Happy or sad, funny or disappointing, they are part of my
life and my stories. With age, I grew wiser and looked at things differently. The
stuff that once drove me crazy and seemed so important then, appears funny
now. As my grandfather would say, learn as you live.
I recommend “Runaway Clothes” to school classrooms, library circles, and
parents who wish to read a lovely tale with a moral about taking care of our
belongings, to children ages 5 to 10.
COLOR ON and READ A LOT! And of course do not forget to clean your
room, kids. Remember, clothes have feelings also!
