List ONE thing you love about your child.
Often we focus on our pride or disappointment in our children and/ or their behaviors, especially during stressful weeks. Take a moment to be thoughtful of your love for your child and their individuality! Find time this week to briefly seek a quiet place in order to really recognize your children. Take time to think about their qualities and what they bring to your life! If we forget to take time to appreciate those closest to us, then we risk getting lost in the shuffle of life and leaving our loving sentiment behind!
When you are rushing around take those opportunities to appreciate your child. If the family is rushing to get in the car because you are late, instead of saying, "well that took us long enough!" You could say, "That was such a rush! Thank you for doing your best to get out here!" Another option (if the rush wasn't smooth for the child), "I know you feel overwhelmed when we rush, thank you for getting out here." All these moments will help you appreciate you child!
Challenge: Find a sheet of paper or notebook to write in and keep it near. It could be helpful on a day when the relationship feels strained. It will also come in handy as we continue through the year!
*Tip* - When you are writing what you love about your child make sure you are listing what you love about them, not about what they do!
For example, "I love when my son makes his bed," is not what we are going for in this activity. We all love a made up bed, especially when we don't have to do it, BUT this statement shows more love to a made up bed than the child. This is a great starting point though and could lead to multiple ways the parent or guardian in this example love their son, one example would be "I love how thoughtful my son can be."
My example, my son posed for this picture for me. It warms my heart when I think about how excited he was to do this and how whenever he sees hands in the shape of a heart he talks about how we did that too. Do I appreciate that he posed for the picture? Of course! HOWEVER, him posing for the picture is NOT what I love about him. What this experience showed me is that what I really love about him is his appreciation of our time together and his thoughtfulness in helping me.
I hope this example helps you as you begin to reflect on your child(ren)!
Jana
