Raising a Better Future Starts at Home
Monday, April 02, 2007
I'm spending this week with my grand baby, and of course, her parents. As usual, I just can't get enough of her. She is eternally happy - except when she is hungry or needs to take a nap, but even then, within seconds of getting her needs met, she is delighted with life again.
I have been known to say that "every baby, every toddler, ought to believe that they are the most important, the most wonderful, and the best loved person on the planet." Childhood can be a wonderful time of life; and with parents who's goal it is to bring as much happiness as they can to their precious child's life that child is bound to grow up believing they are well loved, that they are important at least to a few friends and family members; but mostly they develop a belief system about the world that includes good people, honest people and a world in which happiness is within their grasp.
Sometimes, well meaning people attempt to sabotage a child's dreams by making statements like "Honey you shouldn't put any thought into becoming an artist, you need to think about a practical profession." Toddlers and even teenagers can be easily discouraged, especially when someone they look up to doesn't support their dreams.
Even babies can begin their life's journey believing that they are not good enough to succeed at reaching their dreams if others have successfully turned their dreams into mere fantasy. Children are quick to conform, to develop into the people that others expect them to become - bad, good, or indifferent. They start believing that their own ideas are not rational or that they will never be capable of making their dreams come true. Rather, than making goals for their life that will bring them happiness, they settle for what comes easy. They eventually loose site of their childhood dreams and spend a very unsatisfying life wondering what went wrong.
Moral of the story:
Make it your goal to make every moment of your child's life a happy one. Let go of your less important "tasks" in favor or spending happy time with your child. The end result will be a self confidant, happy adult.
Parenting is about time - lots and lots of it - and how that time is spent can change the world.
Loving our children, enjoying every moment with them regardless of the occasional crankiness and the continual child-like behaviors, will help them grow to be empathetic, well grounded adults who know who they are and what they want to make out of their life.
The secret to raising happy, successful, well rounded adults is to create a family life that focuses on every happy and wonderful thing your life together brings to all of you. Even when life is tough there are people and things about your life that are wonderful, and it is those things that need to be focused on. Laugh when little irritants try to bring you down. Make a joke about the silly situation you were in yesterday. Be an example to your children about how to choose to live a happy and fulfilled life. They will follow your example and they will develop an attitude of gratitude, and they will find their own way to have piece and happiness in their own life.
I have been known to say that "every baby, every toddler, ought to believe that they are the most important, the most wonderful, and the best loved person on the planet." Childhood can be a wonderful time of life; and with parents who's goal it is to bring as much happiness as they can to their precious child's life that child is bound to grow up believing they are well loved, that they are important at least to a few friends and family members; but mostly they develop a belief system about the world that includes good people, honest people and a world in which happiness is within their grasp.
Sometimes, well meaning people attempt to sabotage a child's dreams by making statements like "Honey you shouldn't put any thought into becoming an artist, you need to think about a practical profession." Toddlers and even teenagers can be easily discouraged, especially when someone they look up to doesn't support their dreams.
Even babies can begin their life's journey believing that they are not good enough to succeed at reaching their dreams if others have successfully turned their dreams into mere fantasy. Children are quick to conform, to develop into the people that others expect them to become - bad, good, or indifferent. They start believing that their own ideas are not rational or that they will never be capable of making their dreams come true. Rather, than making goals for their life that will bring them happiness, they settle for what comes easy. They eventually loose site of their childhood dreams and spend a very unsatisfying life wondering what went wrong.
Moral of the story:
Make it your goal to make every moment of your child's life a happy one. Let go of your less important "tasks" in favor or spending happy time with your child. The end result will be a self confidant, happy adult.
Parenting is about time - lots and lots of it - and how that time is spent can change the world.
Loving our children, enjoying every moment with them regardless of the occasional crankiness and the continual child-like behaviors, will help them grow to be empathetic, well grounded adults who know who they are and what they want to make out of their life.
The secret to raising happy, successful, well rounded adults is to create a family life that focuses on every happy and wonderful thing your life together brings to all of you. Even when life is tough there are people and things about your life that are wonderful, and it is those things that need to be focused on. Laugh when little irritants try to bring you down. Make a joke about the silly situation you were in yesterday. Be an example to your children about how to choose to live a happy and fulfilled life. They will follow your example and they will develop an attitude of gratitude, and they will find their own way to have piece and happiness in their own life.