Empowering Our Children By Being Positive
For those of you who watched the Acadamy Awards a few weeks ago, one speech in particular caught my attention. While Reese Whitherspoon was accepting her best actress Oscar, she thanked her parents for always being proud of her. She said "whether I was making a movie or making my bed, they always told me how proud they were of me". I think that in our busy and results driven society, we don't tell our children that we are proud of them as often as we should.
We all want to be accepted, valued, and loved so it is imperative that we as parents, focus on making sure we let our children know this. I know that 99% of parents feel this way about our children, but is it actually stated or implied? It is easier to comment on the negatives and just let the positives happen quietly. This is a common mistake made by most of us all too often.
Our children want our attention and many will do whatever it takes to get it. If the positives go unnoticed but the negatives get them attention, then it only makes sense that they will begin to act out negatively in order to get more attention. Although a frustrating issue to deal with, the solution is usually quite simple. Ignore as many of the negative things as possible - except for those issues related to safety - and enthusiastically, take notice of the many positive things your child does everyday.
From making their beds or getting dressed independently in the morning, to playing nicely with their sibling or doing well at school, give your child the praise and encouragement they desire and deserve. Chances are, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how the positives will soon out-number the negatives.
We all want to be accepted, valued, and loved so it is imperative that we as parents, focus on making sure we let our children know this. I know that 99% of parents feel this way about our children, but is it actually stated or implied? It is easier to comment on the negatives and just let the positives happen quietly. This is a common mistake made by most of us all too often.
Our children want our attention and many will do whatever it takes to get it. If the positives go unnoticed but the negatives get them attention, then it only makes sense that they will begin to act out negatively in order to get more attention. Although a frustrating issue to deal with, the solution is usually quite simple. Ignore as many of the negative things as possible - except for those issues related to safety - and enthusiastically, take notice of the many positive things your child does everyday.
From making their beds or getting dressed independently in the morning, to playing nicely with their sibling or doing well at school, give your child the praise and encouragement they desire and deserve. Chances are, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how the positives will soon out-number the negatives.
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