Hi All,
Most of you
by now know I have a cute and busy 4 year old boy. In the last year I have
learnt that it is hard work being a parent. Not just physically but mentally as
well. There are days when I constantly wonder if I’m doing a good job as a mom.
And then God jumps to the rescue, telling me to let go of the worries and leave
that to him, to simply be a mom that follows her heart (with a bit of guidance
from the brain). That made me so much more relaxed, and at the same time I saw
a change in my son. He too, became relaxed.
Another
thing I learnt is that my son is a mirror image of me and my husband. What we
do, he does exactly the same. So the moral of the story: Be the person you want
your child to be. I have complied some daily habits that I believe every child
should learn and habits you as a parent should reflect onto your child.
1. Wake up call with a smile.
When waking up your children, do it with a smile
and joy. That will teach your children to start a day with a happy and positive
mind. Ask them how they have slept and tell them how much you missed them. It
gives children the assurance that you are always there in the mornings. Tell
your kids that God’s angels kept them safe and that a beautiful day awaits.
2. Greet everyone.
Let your child give big hugs to everyone living in
the house. This will teach them respect and politeness.
3. Allow to help.
Yes, mornings can be crazy, but let your kids help
with whatever they can. For example, Aiden loves serving cereal to everyone and
yes, he will mess, but it’s a special moment and a memory that will last a lifetime.
It will teach them to be helpful and to be responsible.
4. Say a proper goodbye.
It hurts sometimes to watch as parents just drop
their kids off at school and go. No affection and no affirmation that the
parent will be back. For a parent it might be a small thing, but for kids it is
a big thing. By doing a proper goodbye you teach your children affection and
give them the security that they are loved.. Show them the love they deserve.
5. Back from school
This is something I am still mastering with Aiden.
I feel it’s important for kids to learn to be tidy and organized. Teach them
that as soon as they come home to unpack their bag and put dirty clothes in the
laundry.
6. Say please and thank you.
Manners are just so important, so while the kids
are in their moldable stage, teach them all the important stuff. And repetition
is the key, there is so much going on in their lives it’s difficult for them to
remember everything at once. It’s so sad to see so many kids not being taught
the basic manners. Be sure to say please and thank you for every small thing
your kid does for you, that way they will learn from you.
7. Be thankful
Teaching kids to be thankful seems like it is
diminishing more and more. Ungrateful children are all over and our own little
sponges absorb everything. Therefore it is so important that every day we need
to show them how to be thankful and for what. One of the ways I teach Aiden to
be thankful is when we are in the shop. I’ll make a point that he is allowed to
only pick one item, whether it’s a sweetie or cold drink. Another way is to
talk to them in the car and point out all the things you see and tell your
child to be thankful for all the wonderful things that God created for us to
enjoy.
8. Grace
This one could be part of being thankful but I feel
it needs to stand on its own. Teach your kids to say grace from an early age.
Don’t feel frustrated if he doesn’t say it perfectly, just close your eyes and
listen with your heart to what your child is grateful for. For me it is the
best part of the meal, listening to his pure heart speaking out. Cherish these
special moments.
9. Have your supper by the table.
If you don’t have one, do it by a coffee table.
Make a point of switching off all the distractions like TV, cell phones etc.
Allow your child to be part of meal prep or even to prep the table. It’s a tradition he or she
will carry over to their kids. Talk about your day, the ups and even the downs.
Let it be quality family time.
10. It’s tidy time
I’m sure we can all remember how frustrating it was
when, after all the fun with the toys time comes to clean up. Teach your kids
to take responsibility for what they do and that everyone has a role in the
family.
11. Respect
This is a big thing I was taught when I was small,
and my goal is to pass this onto my son. Show respect to your kids and they
will quickly learn to return it.
This is just a few things that I feel are
important. But if I have missed something be sure to email me or comment below.
Never forget that kids are our mirror image, We need to be what we want our
kids to be.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post
