Easy jobs list includes ‘greeter’, ‘house-sitter’, ’embalmer’ and many others. Parenting is not on the list. People who are
parents know this but few realize how difficult it can be BEFORE they have children!
I applaud this wanton bravery…to a point. After all, it feels like it’s not our fault, right? ‘The moment’ catches many of us off guard. The forces of nature, the perpetuation of the species takes over. I understand.
Here’s the point of applause. Parents are unsung heroes. In our society, do we have a strong pervasive appreciation for
what parents do? Sure, there’s Mother’s Day and Father’s Day but is that enough? I think not.
Here’s the thing. Molding the hearts and minds of our children is a deeply profound act that has considerable extension in time, space and energy! Since society is lacking in appreciation of the gravity of this I propose we come together ourselves on physical and spiritual planes daily to honor us for what we do.
This means daily acknowledgement in our meditation and prayers. This means praise to and for each other when we come together in parents groups, little league practice and church. This means taking, scheduling time to spend alone and/or with our partner in this endeavor to celebrate, relax, replenish that relationship.
What do you think of this? Do you take the time to honor your good parenting?
Our intuition center is the FIRST place the brain goes to find out if any particular situation is dangerous. Let’s help our kids learn to know and trust their INITIAL feelings when situations arise.
The Goddess Collective (http://www.thegoddesscollective.com/) has whole programs designed to put us in touch with our intuition and divine heritage.
Are you helping your child recognize and be in touch with their intuition?
How do we teach respect? It’s largely monkey see, monkey do. I know that as parents we are on automatic when it comes to respecting our children…we automatically open the door for them, …we serve them meals …clean up after them, etc. The key here though is to consistently give voice to what you’re doing once the child becomes 3+ years old. Of course, you will not do it always, just enough as is age appropriate and to reinforce a behavior or thought process.
You could say something like “You see what I did right there? I opened the door for you. This is a courtesy we show each other to be considerate, to show kind regard for the feelings and convenience of others. Now you open the door for me. That’s right. Thank You (express gratitude, another courtesy). What other ways can we show courtesy and respect to others?” Then have a discussion if that is the logical follow through.
The idea is to create a habit for yourself in training them as much as it is to have them trained. You may find your own self being more respectful of others and consequently, happier. Isn’t happier what it’s all about?
Teaching plans for teaching children include teaching ‘Respect’. Respect (in this case, 1. esteem, admiration, 2.proper courtesy, 3. a formal expression of esteem or deference , 4. to refrain from intruding upon) and good manners have taken a significant hit over the last couple of decades. I know this is so because I went to a party recently and the two young children there were so polite and well-mannered I was agasp! They were 7 and 10. It had been quite some time since I had encountered such well-mannered children. Sort of sad actually, for all of us.
The onset of the technological age has ushered in an acute lack of manners by adults as well as children. The fact that an appliance (cell phone, iPad, etc.) captures the attention of someone for an extended period of time when that someone is in the company of live humans is appalling to me. Far too many are abandoned in the middle of a conversation when a cell rings in. Too many are glaring over the table at their errant companions who are more interested in their gadgets. I have this problem with TV. If my show is on, please don’t talk to me.
Our humanity is a precious thing. Respect for each other is a recognition of our divinity. We diminish ourselves personally when we ignore the living presence of our fellow human(s) as they stand or sit with us for ANY reason. Teaching respect to children, something seriously lacking these days, helps to insure their success in the social game, the workplace and life in general. A good way to do this is to show THEM respect. Model it, then exact opportunities for them to reciprocate and show it to others. Praise them privately and publicly when you see them do it. I tell you, I had to seek out the parents of those little polite darlings and when the kids were in earshot, I praised them and their parents for their fine manners. Made me feel good too.
Which leads to the other point in this. Feeling good. Appliances are dead or rather, they were never alive. Our person to person interactions are to be sought out and appreciated because interaction with life feeds good feelings. We are good feeling magnets for each other. We have the power to heal ourselves with the energy we create person to person. Feeling good enhances our health, wealth and happiness. Deferring to other people is a bow to their humanity, a way of kissing ourselves. They are made to feel good, you feel good and sanity is restored to the moment.
Won’t you join me in promoting good manners and respect? What have you observed that bears correcting?
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