Tag Archives: #fathersuccess

What Does It Mean to Be a Parent

In every conceivable manner, the family is linked to our past, bridge to our future. – Alex Haley

1) When You Are a Mother You Realize How Challenging and Rewarding This Role Is

Every possible color on an emotional spectrum is present in my life. I didn’t know how fast and easy one can go from being exhausted to angry and impatient, then right away feel regret and shame for not controlling this flow of emotions. These feelings should end up with laughter and tenderness after all.

Raising kids is not easy, and knowing that I am not the only one who does not always know how to react to screaming and rolling on the floor, and how to perceive some bad temper towards other kids in a friend’s house – helps me to strive for more knowledge by listening to the ones that are more experienced. I read the authors who learned a lot on their parenting journey.

2) Parenting Is a Life Exam and You Choose to Study and Pass It When You Decide to Have a Child

This process involves a lot of explorative reading. And not until I got acquainted with the works of Alice Miller, Adem Gunes, and some other pedagogues, psychologists, and teachers – I found answers to some questions crowding in my head.

There is no way anyone can predict the future of their kids. You see, you cannot predict to a 100% certainty if your tomorrow will turn out to be exact to your plan. But I wanted to make sure I do the best possible choices and make right decisions concerning my kids every day with the goal in mind to raise not ‘good’ (which means in parenting language ‘obedient’ kids) but happy and loving, kind and caring, thoughtful and creative, responsible and confident, independent and fulfilled personalities. 

3) ‘Good’ = ‘Obedient’ Is Not Always Desirable and Some Resistance to Parents Can Be a Positive Sign

When fear is used – kids do whatever they’re told without thinking, just to please and obey adults. These children may become what their parents want them to be and lose themselves on this way.

There is a big difference between a child doing something and believing it is the right thing to do, and another kid that is just following the instructions. The first way creates independent thinkers and the second leads to unpredictable results.

Today this kid is listening to his parents without questioning and does everything he is told immediately, and tomorrow he does the same – but now he listens to someone else, his peers – and these people may not be the lot you’d have picked.

If your ultimate desire is to help your children to set and meet their own goals – then be prepared to find out that they may make choices and embrace values that aren’t the same as yours.

It is not easy to keep the big picture in mind and focus on long-term goals rather than on an immediate compliance. We need to consider what our children need rather than just what we’re demanding from them.


Conclusion

Motherhood is a never-ending learning process, and there is no one book to suit every scenario and one rule to follow in each situation. Every family is a different book to write and every mother and father is an author of a unique kind. 

Stay tuned…

3 Rules That Will Help You to Build Trust in Your Family

What one loves in childhood stays in the heart forever. – Mary Jo Putney

1) A Baby Born Is One of the Most Benevolent and Impeccable Creations 

The child has his dharma already written and there is no need to put too much pressure on ourselves thinking over all the possible scenarios for the play of his life. We often write a script of step by step acts of this play: kindergarten, school, college; who should he hang out with and what should he do to earn his living in the future. To follow the written plan too closely in this life is of no use.

2) It Is Important to Be Adaptable to the Ever-Changing Social and Business Environment

We do not have the right to decide our kids’ destiny. The time will come and they will be out of your nest, building their own. Do not strive for full control over your children. Let them make their own decisions. Trust their judgment. They naturally know better what is good for them. Intuitively their body tells them to eat slowly – it is good for digestion. Your daughter may have a different view on how she wants to look today and she’s putting on this pair of socks because of the color, let her do so even though it does not match the rest of her outfit. Being small and vulnerable she used to sleep and eat just at the time she needed it. How different would’ve been our life if all of us could’ve listened and heard our body’s language?

3) Everybody Needs a Place Where One Can Relax and Be Himself 

If your child behaves differently or misbehaves, to be more exact, often when you are around and plays an obedient kid when you are not there – it is very normal. He reveals his true self in front of the person he loves and trusts the most. Analyze how you act in front of others in the office and at home with your spouse. You come home tired and let your irritation out – she or he will understand. Do you remember those moments? You need to express self-control to calm yourself down and not to put all your troubles on your spouse’s shoulders. Everybody needs a place where one can relax and be himself, even if at this very moment it is not the best version of you. Kids need to have atmosphere of freedom where their most cherished people will always understand.


Conclusion

The result of too much pressure in trying “to teach good habits” may be the lack of time and effort to cultivate a strong personality. If your child obeys you all the time she ends up living a life to please others and think that to be happy she needs to make others happy. You want a resolute child, one who knows what she wants from life, whose world is full of colors and deep emotions. Develop her sense of trust by allowing her to comfortably express herself within her family. Let her share her feelings with you, do not think they are not serious and childish – for this little soul it is ultimately important to find support and compassion in her parents.

Stay tuned…

10 Things Parents Need to Understand to Reveal Their Child’s Unique Personality

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do… but how much love we put in that action. – Mother Teresa

1) Family Is a Spiritual Experience for Parents and Kids

Success is determined by understanding each other’s roles and trust between the two. Father is wisdom in the face of difficulty. Mother is compassion and love. The combination will form the child’s personality and develop her character.

2) Help to Reveal the Unique Personality

A child is born with her personality written in her life-book. Our goal as parents is to help to open this book and teach our child to read it. We should not in any way try to change its contents. The main secret of this book is that we cannot read it right away. We also need to learn how to do it by gently helping our kids through this process. We see just blank pages at the beginning and only later start noticing some signs and strive to learn this language and understand it fully. We carry unlimited power in our hands and used unwisely it can ruin this book by rewriting it. This happens if you are lazy about learning: “Why learn a new language when I can just write what I think is right? Isn’t that much easier?”

3) Our Kids Do Not Belong to Us

When born, they already have everything of their own. You can trace the strong spirit early on as well as discover gentle softness right away. By trying to be a writer, not a reader, you may ruin the exquisiteness of this book. Eventually, you will lose interest in reading it. Instead, we just need to guide our kids gently on their way by sincerely being willing to know them and admitting the existence of their perfect nature.

4) Acceptance and Respect Are the Fulcrums

Take your child’s hand and start this thought-provoking journey without trying to force or judge. Do not compare – but respect. Harmony in a child’s inner place (the place where she keeps her most sacred soul belongings) is vital. This precious personality that grows in love comes to understand the internal peace within herself. The child in this atmosphere will obtain a firm belief in her importance and will be ready to defend her personality in any circumstances (playground, school, work) not being afraid of ridicule.

5) When the Time Comes, a Child Reveals Her Dreams to an Adult

In most cases this all-knowing, wise individual bitten by the world wants “to protect” the little girl and put her back on the ground first before the cruel world does that less gently: “Wait, my friend, reality will show its sharp teeth to you. You better think about how to finish school and find a good-paying job.”

What are we without dreams? Mere automatons. Dreams make us move, create masterpieces, and make new scientific discoveries that save millions of lives. Dream driven actions make a king from a peasant, and a king without dreams becomes a vagabond. By supporting our kids when they strive for happiness and greatness, we make them believe in the imaginary reality and help them to make it real.

6) Pay Attention to Character Development

Often we do not pay as much attention to our children’s character as we do to teaching them to hold a spoon and eat, to brush their teeth and make their bed by themselves (to free more time for ourselves). Patience is the highest rung on the “child-care ladder”. With this capacity in our hands, we can help our kids to attain up their “dream realized life”.

7) Do Not Force Your Little One to Imitate Anyone

Do not compare him to other children. In striving to imitate, the child becomes like a crow in an old parable. He vainly tries master flying in the skies in an attempt to become a sparrow. As he strives, the little crow forgets how to walk on his own.

8) His Power to Be Himself Should Be Respected

Look at the child in his first year of life. This is his fairy tale, where there is no need to pretend that you like something when you don’t. He is the king of this land, comfortable in the presence of loving, devoted parents and fierce if he doesn’t like someone, even if this someone is the monarch of the neighboring state. This king is brave in everything he does, not afraid of doing something wrong.

His power to be himself should be respected because it brings him peace. Parents as his chaperones on his way through his kingdom should show support and unconditional love: “We love you as you are. You will never make us love you less.” In this land they have discussions and arguments, they have different opinions, listen to each other with respect, learning from their differing points of view, and solving problems together.

9) Answer With Patience and Honesty

When your child asks “what” you should answer with patience and honesty, explaining the “why”. Wise parents know that the explanation should not be misleading as it is hard to correct this mistake and keep the same level of trust afterward.

We should remember to not pressure our kids by instilling in them the behavior that we think is appropriate. The primary emphasis is on playing and making it joyful. Even such a thing as brushing teeth can be fun. And if the question “why should I do it?” is asked, patience and creativity help to make the answer reasonable in a childish way but with a truly grown-up meaning.

10) Your Child Is Entrusted to You

Do not consider your child a source of pleasure for yourself: giving love when you feel like it, and if your mood is blue – considering the child as a mere hindrance on the way to a quiet sleep on the couch.


Conclusion

Listen to the baby’s needs, look for signs of spiritual openness, and pay attention to the dreams communicated in the baby’s language.

Stay tuned…