John 3:16 Be thankful, grateful, patient, charitable, kind, and don’t forget to smile, as it is infectious. God Bless America and Protect Our President and Military!
Set goals for yourself and break the task into smaller, actionable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed. Celebrate small wins. In your children, teach them early on life skills, a work ethic, cooking, cleaning, fixing, earning, saving, investing – give them every edge they can use at work or at home, and they will thank you!
Shift the inner negative thoughts with objective affirmations by recognizing and challenging your inner critic. Teach your children that, just like at work, in life, success is rewarded but also explain why bad behavior is never acceptable and that there are consequences for bad behavior.
Challenge yourself to say “Yes” in stepping out of your comfort zone. Prepare for the challenges that help you squelch your inner fear and replace it with self-confidence, as stepping out of your comfort zone helps your brain register competence and success. In children, use the above as an example of why homework and meeting deadlines are important.
Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness you would offer a student or friend in the learning process. Accept your shortcomings, realize that we all have them, and that everyone has talents.
In life, we need to recognize that we all have to crawl before we can walk and walk before we can run. Teach your children that it’s important to have confidence in themselves and to recognize the unique talents they each bring to the table. Also, that success doesn’t usually come overnight but with hard work, determination, and grit. Some people excel in academics, while others are skilled with their hands. Some are quick-witted, while others take their time to think things through, ensuring they “dot their i’s and cross their t’s,” so to speak—measuring twice and cutting once.
The above examples will help you exude confidence as a foundation for your children. Children are like sponges absorbing the good, bad, and ugly traits they see! Don’t re-live the misgivings of your life or dump your expectations onto your children. Don’t compare apples to oranges and remind yourself that we are all different in so many ways, and it would be a pretty boring world if we weren’t. Use a moral compass to guide them through life until adulthood. Teach taking responsibility for their actions.
Point to Ponder: Life presents many challenges, including pitfalls and peer pressure, especially in today’s world. We believe that if you give your children a faith-based, disciplined foundation, they will have a better chance of becoming accomplished and respected adults. It is important to provide your children with a sense of well-being and belonging. Teach them to be kind, compassionate, charitable, and thankful. Encourage them to greet people with a smile and a handshake while making eye contact. Instill in them the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated, and remember that forgiveness is at the heart of the law.
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