Your value doesn’t decrease based on someone’s inability to see your worth. ~Unknown
Anyone who pays attention to young children knows that the child’s mind is like a sponge and that it takes in the environment without any detailed formal instruction. I’ve been observing my nephew’s sons. When I mirror their joys or fears they respond accordingly. If I ignore them they would react by leaving me or fear and judging me by watching my facial expressions. They hide behind their father and peek to study my face. Is that shyness or fear? Maybe one or the other or a little bit of both. Mirroring is vital in any relationship, especially with our children. An adult knows she’s welcomed or not. So the child knows she’s accepted or not. She knows she’s loved, respected or not even though she doesn’t even know the meaning of the word. An educator John Holt puts it this way, –
“Nobody starts off stupid. You only have to watch babies and infants, and think seriously about what they all learn and do, to see that… they show a style of life, and desire and ability to learn, that in an older person we might call a genius. Hardly in any adult in a thousand, or ten thousand, could in any, three years of his life learn as much, grow as much in his understanding of the world around him, as every infant learns and grows in his first three years.
So how does a child unlearn so much as they become toddlers or adolescents. Instead of teaching the rules of the house, parents expect them to instantly know how to behave by scolding or apply corporal punishment on them. The most common punishment is spanking, slapping, pinching, pulling or giving thm the evil eye. Please don’t hurt a child fir doing something she didn’t know was wrong.
Children don’t know the rules of the house until they’re taught. One of the most important parenting responsibilities is teach. Toddlers are normally into touching and exploring so it would be smart to put the valuable things away. We know these things … these are just friendly reminders. When a child breaks an important rule they need to be reprimanded immediately to understand what they have done wrong.
Please allow them to express themselves without interrupting them. One thing I had to learn as a parent was to listen to my kids which was quite difficult. I thought my being in authority was to be the one laying down the law… do or die mentality.
One of the blessings we can bestow on our children is listen to them even when you don’t understand them.
Jesus always listened to the children. Last night I talked to Him and got a little upset because not even an edifying thought came to mind. By faith I knew He heard me. This morning He reminded me that my eye is the lamp to my body. What do I read or watch? Aha! Need to stay away from dark things, bad news and silly stuff that could darken my soul.
He taught children and (his disciples) and blessed them. He edified them by recognizing their strength. So we teach and we bless our children by looking into their eyes with love when they talk and listen to them. Remember they’re geniuses until you degeniusized them.
Listening communicates respect and that’s how they learn they are valuable in your eyes and learn to respect themselves.