Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! Plus Life Lessons from His Iconic Books

Childhood is a magical time, and for most of us, Dr. Seuss books were a huge part of those enchanted years. Who doesn't recall their first time reading his rhymes and thinking how silly and fun they were? His imagination was, in my opinion, the greatest. It was pure magic. Today as we celebrate his birthday, instead of focusing solely on the whimsical rhymes and colorful characters in his books, I'm also sharing with my daughters the important life lessons that can be found in the pages. 

Speak up for the little guy. --Horton Hears a Who
More than anything, I want my children to learn kindness. I want them to give it freely and unconditionally. Even if their friends aren't being nice to someone, I want them to step up and show kindness. Even if someone hasn't been kind to them, I want them to remain steadfast and offer kindness anyway. And if the time should ever come when they see someone being treated unfairly, someone who doesn't seem to have a voice, I want them to speak up for that person and encourage others to be more kind. Because a "person's a person, no matter how small." 


Don't be afraid to try new things. --Green Eggs and Ham
In fact, embrace opportunities to try new things, because they help us to grow and learn. There will be new things that they love right away, like ice skating, and some they will have to try more than once before they realize they love it, like cotton candy. There will also be new things that they don't love at all, like the hip hop class we had my three year old in; she was brave and she gave it a shot and it just wasn't her thing. And that's perfectly okay. I want them to know that everything won't be their cup of tea, but in order to find out what is, they've got to take the leap and try. 


Take good care of our Earth. --The Lorax
It's always been important to my husband and me that our girls learn to respect the Earth. This is our home after all, and not just ours, but billions of other people and millions of species of plants and animals. We have to share this space and make sure that it's safe and clean for future generations. I don't just want clean water and air for my own children, but for all children, so we're doing everything we can to lead by example so that our little ones grow up with the same mindset. 


There will inevitably be bang ups and hang ups, but we must have courage and press on because there is still so much fun to be done. --Oh, the Places You'll Go!
As much as it pains me to even imagine my babies venturing out on their own, it hurts me even more to think that I won't be able to protect them from all of life's ups and downs. They will experience pain that won't be healed with a kiss from mommy. They will have to travel roads without me, no matter how badly I want to accompany them and hold their hands. They will have dark days, and there is no flashlight or candle I possess to change that for them. So when my girls do go out on their own, I want them to always remember that they have the strength and the courage to get through anything. I want them to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel--a good life, a fun life, is waiting ahead. 


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