7 Powerful Ways to Show Love to Children – Parenting
7 Powerful Ways to Show Love to Children
Steve Brunkhorst
Our children are our most important legacy to the world. However, our love is our most important legacy to our children. Here are seven ways to show love that will help children build sturdy foundations for the future.
1. Spend Time with Your Children.
Time is the most loving gift we can give to our children. It allows for the mutual exchange of ideas, emotions, actions, and words that help our children develop and learn to communicate.
Enjoy a toddlers tea parties as well as a teens ball games. Help your children build things and create art. Begin new family traditions that you can enjoy together each year. Ample time spent in mutually enjoyable activities will create memories you will always treasure.
2. Be the Primary Role Model for Your Children.
Children need examples to follow. Teach practical values to your children by modeling those values. Admit when you have made a mistake and apologize. Model being committed to the ideals you embrace. Demonstrate the advantage of integrity over peer pressure.
We teach and influence children more through actions than words. We are our childrens first heroes; the ideals that we live today are the ideals that will influence our children throughout life.
3. Listen to Your Children.
A childs message is one of his or her most essential gifts. We build self-esteem in children when we show interest in what they have to say. Children need to communicate their pride of accomplishment as well as their needs.
Get down at eye level with very young children and listen with your eyes, ears, and heart. Listen most of all to the feelings conveyed through a childs eyes and expressions. If you listen to your children deeply, they will grow up listening deeply to you.
4. Provide Your Children with Loving Discipline.
Children need guidelines and safe boundaries without being constrained unnecessarily. They need to learn the value of being accountable for their choices and actions.
Let your children know that you disapprove of hurtful actions but will always love them as sons and daughters. Loving discipline enables them to recognize the best in other people. It allows children the freedom to explore the world safely and reach their highest potential.
5. Give Your Children Encouragement.
Encouraging words are powerful emotional deposits of confidence and self-esteem. Verbally acknowledge your childrens special talents and accomplishments. Catch your children doing something great, and tell them what a great job they have done.
Children need to know that we recognize and support their hopes and dreams for the future. Encouraging children to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually provides the foundation for living a balanced life.
6. Share Your Experiences with Your Children.
We each have valuable stories to tell, unique maps of our journey through life. These stories tell how our reactions to events created the life we are living now. Sharing the benefit of your experiences
Are You Addicted to Your Children – Parenting
Are You Addicted to Your Children
Margaret Paul, Ph.D.
Is it possible to be using our children addictively
Anything that we use to get love, avoid pain, and fill up inner emptiness can become an addiction
Reincarnation: Sacred Children Series – 1 of 3 – Parenting
Reincarnation: Sacred Children Series - 1 of 3
Skye Thomas
Many years ago, my children were raised on the various teachings and concepts of "magic" as I was studying different religions and spiritual beliefs. I had come across many metaphysical teachings woven throughout most of the different religions. It was very important to me that they stay authentic and real. I didnt want them to ever allow anyone to convince them to be something other than the beautiful souls they already were. They took to the metaphysical teachings quite easily and naturally. Often they already knew whatever it was I had thought I was going to teach them.
My four-year-old son asked me one morning, "Where did I live before I got into your tummy to be born." He naturally assumed that hed always existed despite his lack of memory about life before being born. It was just after Valentines Day and I reminded him of those cupid style angel babies that we had seen in the stores. We had both really like all of the statues, greeting cards, and pictures of the little cherubs. I told him that he was one of those little baby angels up in heaven before I got pregnant with him.
He asked if his younger sister had been a cherub too. "Yes, of course." He then double checked to make sure they had been hanging out up in heaven together waiting to come down. He seemed satisfied with the idea that his little sister and him had both played together as little winged babies in up in heaven waiting for their turn to be born.
My son had heard the stories of how I had seen visions of his sister for five years before she finally came into our lives. He wanted to know if Id had visions of him too. "No, just this one dream where you were running around peeing on everything. However just because I didnt see you ahead of time doesnt mean that you arent a wonderful and amazing gift in my life. It doesnt mean that I dont love you just the same as if I had seen you coming ahead of time." He sat there nodding his head with this wise old mans expression on his face as he thought for awhile.
When he spoke next, I almost laughed aloud at his reasoning. So, he wanted to know, didnt this all mean that he was faster than his sister and had bested her in yet another race After all, hed beat her by two whole years. "Yeah," I chuckled at where his mind had gone with it all, "I guess you did." With that he ran off to rub it in her face. He always took such pride in being bigger, faster, and older than her. As far as he was concerned, it was proof that yet again, he was faster than her.
Later that evening he came back to ask me some more questions, "So, if I was in heaven before I got into your tummy and Im going back again after I die, then can I come back again and again if I want to"
"There are some people who say yes you can and there are some people who say no you cant. They say you only get one turn at life."
"Is it okay with you if I come back again"
"Yeah sure," I shrugged, "if you want to. I dont see why not."
"I can come back and live again and again if I want to"
"Its okay with me. You can come back as many times as you want. Its really up to you."
With a worried look on his face he asked, "Will you be my mom every time"
"Yes, of course, honey. Ill always be your mom forever and ever."
His face lit up with relief at the reassurance that Id always be here for him. Then he asked, "So next time, can we be farmers"
"No, absolutely not."
He did his best to argue the point, but he never could convince me to become a farmer. I always told him that I was tired of working that hard and that I wanted to play more in my next life. He enjoyed a childhood in which he believed that he could be anything and everything he could dream of. He never worried about running out of time, because he had so many lifetimes to fill.
Over the years, hes asked many big cosmic questions about spiritual and paranormal topics. How is it that sometimes we see visions of things before they happen How is it that we can talk to guardian angels that we cant see and yet we can hear answers How come not everyone hears them Whos in charge Why is it that the religions are all so much alike and yet people fight so much over which ones exactly right Whos right How is it he could have memories of being an adult Native American warrior when he was only a young boy Why is their music so haunting How come he sees Celtic symbols in his dreams at night sometimes Why is he so attached to the falcons
Hes in high school now and has studied many different belief systems. Hes not so sure now that reincarnation is how it all works. Hes open to different beliefs, but as a rather scientific type, hes really quite skeptical and requires a lot of proof. I encourage him to do his own research and find proof as to what really happens after we die. He hasnt really studied religions for quite some time now because hes far more interested in studying girls and bass guitars. Im not too worried about it because I know that the seeds of spirituality were firmly planted in his upbringing and at some point in his future he will again look towards the heavens for answers as to where he was before he was born.
Copyright 2003, Skye Thomas, Tomorrows Edge
About The Author
Skye Thomas began writing books and articles with an everyday practical approach to life in 1999 after twenty years of studying spirituality, metaphysics, astrology, personal growth, motivation, and parenting. After years of high heels and business clothes, she is currently enjoying working from home in her pajamas. Go to www.TomorrowsEdge.net to read more of her articles and to get a free preview of one of her books.
Skye@TomorrowsEdge.net