“Children have more need of models than of critics.” – Carolyn Coats, author
Hal’s Take: My “self” is an abstract compilation of my feelings, principles, and experiences. It changes on a regular basis as those things shift and change. We are never “done” as people and this is important to remember for several reasons. If we convince ourselves that we are set in stone, then we are shortchanging ourselves tremendously. We are complicated beings, capable of growth and change. So are our kids. Avoid, at all costs, backing your child into a corner by labeling them in one form or another. Labels only limit; they never help. You are not creating a stone statue that will be “finished” when it turns 18. That’s good news. It should enable you to relax a bit and enjoy the ride.
-Hal Runkel, LMFT author of ScreamFree Parenting
The Confident Mom’s Take: Thank goodness we are never “done” as Hal says! Each day of our lives we have opportunity upon opportunity to grow and develop into who/what God wants us to be – isn’t that exciting? I know recently I have taken an intentional look at what I am modeling for my children and how I can make appropriate changes in order to model positive behavior. By practicing staying calm in heated situations and staying connected to frustrating situations I am developing closer relationships with my children. That is surely worth all my extra hard work and effort! We cannot expect our kids to display behavior if we cannot even have control over it ourselves. I spoke on this with regard to “Taming Disrespect”, take a listen and let me know your thoughts!
What is an area you can improve on today? How can you become more intentional in that area?
