Tiny Tips for Moms and Dads#23
Helping Children Develop Healthy Relationships-
Under normal circumstances, children have big, open, loving hearts that are receptive of engaging with other children and adults from a “heart space”!
When we have the privileged of nurturing the unconditional loving heart of a child, it is imperative that we are intentional about developing good self-esteem in our children so that to begin with, they know that they are worthy of relationships that are gentle in nature, respectful, and cognizant of who they are. Everyone is challenged at some point in their life in terms of ‘Feeling good” about themselves as they navigate through life and encounter people and situations that test our ability to ward off negativity. Our children are vulnerable as they embark on this journey of “learning life” and “learning the nature and character” of other people.
I have found in my experience with children, that making friends with other children is by far more challenging for them, then relating to adults. I don’t think, other than parents and family, that children are as concerned about their relationship with adults. Children expect us to validate them and demonstrate in both words and actions how we feel about them. Children, I really hate to say, can be “mean spirited” and even perpetrate acts of bullying on other children they feel empowered over.
It has become a crisis in this country and must be addressed seriously. We must empower our children to know who they are and deflect anything other children-even adults- might say to dehumanize them. We can’t allow anyone to steal our child-children’s joy and self-knowledge from them. We must give them the tools to combat this negative battery that might come “at” them when they least expect it. There must be clear boundaries!
So many times, I have witnessed our children, who are just “pure love” encounter other children that think it is ok to either physically or verbally attack their “Sweet Spirits”. We have given them the protocol to come directly to us or the adults in charge and “speak their truth about what they have experienced”. We have grounded them in knowing who and what they are in connection to their “divine identities”.
Ua will respond to anyone that tries to offend him or hurt him that “I am a child of God”! We did not tell him to say this, he knows it intuitively and has no fear in responding with “His truth of who he is”! I might add that it throws the other child off! They just sort of look at him and go away.
We have a responsibility to ensure that our children develop healthy loving relationships and that the children they chose to engage with are worthy of them. Remember that we are their models of how to live and be in the world, so they are mindful of who we engage with and how we are treated by other people. The commitment to worthiness begins with us!
Parenting Tips:
So, breathe deeply! Close your eyes and visualize how intricately you are connected to this life that has been brought on to this planet that has its own unique and “Divined Identity” and “Divined Purpose. May today bring you a sense of peace, joy, and moments of feeling loved and validated for who you are your journey through parenthood, and what you are not only gifting humanity, but how the life of your child is a blessing to you, and how you are a blessing to your child.
Thank You Jim Brickman for your beautiful music that vibrates through this recording. This is a selection from his album – “Music to Quiet Your Mind and Sooth Your World”.
Stay in Touch: http://heart4kidsadvocacy.org/
