New aunt here! Well, not exactly. My oldest niece is a teenager and my youngest is a toddler, but I only recently moved to the same city and came into their lives. While I used to see them once a year, now I see them once a week. Here are five things I’ve learned about being an aunt. 

Be a good example

Alright, this is a little obvious, right? But I didn’t realize kids are total copycats. Even though it seems like they only copy the bad things (hello, that one time I accidentally cursed in front of my two-year-old niece and she repeated it for weeks), they see the good things too. They see when you help with the dishes without being asked, or on an even more basic level, how you treat other people. I nearly died the first time my toddler niece thanked me with no prompt whatsoever.

Be Mindful of Yeses and Nos 

I sure have to say no an awful lot, so whenever I can say yes to something, I do it. You want to wear a tutu? It’s thirty degrees outside, but sure. Wear it. And then we can change into pants when you get cold. Who cares? But on that same note, I try to respect the heck out of their nos. When kids learn early on that their no doesn’t carry any weight, it has big people-pleasing ramifications later in life. So I’m working on respecting their boundaries, even if it means I don’t get a hug from the cutest little human around.

Give Compliments

This one is really cool. I’ve seen it happen: giving my nephew a compliment and watching him embody that quality even more. Even just little things. Give a kid a compliment, give them the courage to be a good person, and watch them rise up. 

Google modern slang

I personally cannot keep up with youth lingo these days, and I have to legitimately look up what a word means to see if someone needs to be grounded. These little dudes either lie about it when asked or don’t know what it actually means; I haven’t decided which. When in doubt, Google modern slang. 

Allow them time and space to be heard

I’ve learned to just sit and listen, allowing them space to express themselves without being dismissed. That’s how you get to their hearts. I admit it takes a lot of patience, especially when my nephew wants to explain the difference between his identical baseball cards, but it’s worth it. It’s a really special thing to be received by someone, really truly heard.

By: Emily Miller