Parenting children can feel like you’re on a roller coaster ride that never ends. One minute you’re up and everything is great and fun, then another minute you’re upside down contemplating all of your life choices. Raising little people is an adventure all on its own. It’s fun, it’s crazy, a little bit wild and it’s totally worth every grey strand of hair that you find on your head.
Yet, without realizing it at times or with the best of intentions we get a little distracted as parents. We start to focus on things that we think are important for our children. Maybe we overload them with extra mural activities, maybe we work late hours, or three different jobs, as a means of providing the very best for them. Our intentions may be pure and sincere, but what we are forgetting in those moments is spending time with our children. Maybe out of guilt for always being busy and working late every night, we compensate with gifts, physical objects to make up for not being present. Our children may even love those gifts and happily receive them, but in those moments when you are not there, they feel that the most and that sits with them.
Or maybe we make them live a very rushed “on the go” kind of lifestyle, where they need to always move just as fast as you and keep up with you. More and more children are struggling with anxiety because they are living such fast paced lifestyles, that their minds and little hearts can’t keep up. Now add all electronic devices to the mix, then you have a phone or an iPad that’s required to help parent. Children aren’t getting enough emotional support, and they are suffering without us realizing it. However, we can change that together! It’s never too late to get back to the drawing board and start on a new fresh clean slate with our children.
WHAT CHILDREN REALLY NEED
Let’s try to be aware of the following as we go forward as parents who choose to love our children in the best way possible:
- Children need our love.
- Children need our time.
- Children need our affection.
- Children need our guidance.
- Children need to feel respected.
- Children need to feel safe.
- Children need the space to feel like they are being heard and understood.
- Children need to know that we have faith in them and believe in them, regardless of mistakes they may have made.
Parenting like I said, can be challenging, but I think that if we constantly reflect and seek ways to improve as parents, that both parties will flourish. As parents we are not only raising unique individuals, we are also shaping and influencing their character. Therefore, that may mean stepping back to ask ourselves if our children feel loved, safe, and emotionally connected and empowered at home. If that means tweaking a few things from time to time, then so be it. They deserve it. Please know that everyone’s family dynamic is different, and that we are all trying our best with the season we are in, so do not feel down or feel like a failure as a parent. Start by making little changes in your week that cultivates and nourishes extra love within your home. You’ve got this, cheering you on.