Helping our kids feel worthy and loved…sounds simple enough, right? Maybe, but what can we as parents do to truly cultivate worthiness?
Thought leader, researcher and best-selling author, Brene Brown, defines worthiness as, “knowing that we are enough as we are and worthy of love, belonging and joy.” Helping kids feel worthy is foundational to living a full and joyful life.
If I could instill two things deep into the souls of my children, it’s that they are loved and worthy. As a parent, I feel there’s no greater gift I could give to help my kids lead meaningful lives.
Interestingly, it’s not simple at all. It’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day tasks and miss opportunities to share love and worthiness.
I’d like to do better. So, I’m practicing these three things.
3 Daily Practices – Helping Kids Feel Loved and Worthy
- Listen deeply – When my kids open up, it’s an opportunity to understand them, their world, and to make sure they feel heard. This means I need to contain my instinct to fix and allow my kids to process their emotions and struggles. I can do this by making sure they feel heard and validating their feelings.
- Be loving – Lots of hugs, smiles, and “I love you’s.” Hugs have emotional and physical health benefits. Tweens and teens, they tend to move away from their parents’ gestures of love, but that doesn’t mean parents should stop sharing their love. Asking kids what words and gestures make them feel loved can shed light on how best to connect with them too.
- Acknowledge the many things I appreciate about my kids every day – Recognizing hard work, positive behaviors, and the wonderful qualities that make my kids unique. It’s easy for parents to only acknowledge the chores that go unfinished or shortcomings. I’m trying to make sure my positive feedback far outweighs the negative.
If you could instill something deep into the souls of your children, what would it be? What would that look like in your daily life?
PASS IT ON. Jessica Speer’s BLOG focuses on helping kids and families thrive. If you know someone who might appreciate this content, please pass it on! Visit http://www.jessicaspeer.com to learn more or connect via Facebook or Pinterest.
Love this so much. And appreciate the reminder, especially about acknowledging – I do forget that sometimes, get caught up in the crazy busyness of the day. Hmm, instilling deeply into the soul of my daughter…that she is seen and accepted for the awesome being she is, just as she is. Daily practice of that? Along the lines of what you suggested: acknowledging, validating, taking the time to listen and truly understand. Thank you for this.
What a wonderful focus…”that she is seen and accepted as she is.” Thanks so much for sharing!