Parents and children have a unique relationship. The power of a parent is unlike any other connection we have. There are some unique ways we can influence our kid’s lives. It’s more than just teaching them how to cross the street safely. It’s about creating a safe space for our children, teaching them how to treat others, and most importantly, treat themselves.
Heather Johnson shares the power of a parent. She shares five unique ways parents influence their kids for good. She puts into perspective how the way we treat ourselves rubs off onto our children.
To contact Heather for counseling, email blog.familyvolley@gmail.com, or visit www.familyvolley.blogspot.com.
The Power of a Parent
Show Affection
The relationship between parents and their children is unique, and there isn’t another one like it. It comes with trust, where in other relationships, you have to build that trust. No matter how our family is created, we come trusting. Then, our job is to not mess it up. With the trust in place, it gives us a beautiful power to show affection. Kids need it. Affection dynamically changes relationships. The beauty of offering affection to our children is 1. we can do it in a safe space, and 2. children who experience affection are happier, more resilient, and less likely to experience childhood stress.
Show Unconditional Love
We know our children at their worst and at their best. They know us at our worst and best. There is nothing more powerful than loving someone who isn’t perfect, and recognizing that those imperfections don’t change the love we feel. Unconditional love gives children happier thoughts about themselves each day. Children who feel unconditional love are less likely to feel anxiety. Children who do feel anxious are better able to handle it if they know they are loved unconditionally.
Build Morals
Since we’re with each other so often, we can recognize that children will, for the most part, do what their parents do. We have the opportunity to live a moral principle based life, and in turn, watch our children be moral principle based individuals. We need to have trust and unconditional love for that to happen.
Build Esteem
We are in a position where we show our strengths and weaknesses, and we see our kid’s as well. So, we can build a safe environment where our children can be comfortable with who they are, because we’ve accepted who they are. We are also in a position to show them what healthy esteem looks like.
Create a Narrative
This opportunity only lies with parents and children: to tie them to a greater existence. To teach them that their great grandfather had grit, and so do they, so “let’s see what we can do with that.”
Another part of a narrative is creating a safe space so our children talk to themselves in a way that is healthy. The way you talk to your children will illicit how they talk to themselves. The way you talk to yourself out loud is what they create as a narrative as well.
Add comment