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| Be a good role model… |
Kids worry about lots of stuff… Quote from this website article…
“Be a good role model. The most powerful lessons we teach kids are the ones we demonstrate. Your response to your own worries, stress, and frustrations can go a long way toward teaching your kids how to deal with everyday challenges. If you’re rattled or angry when dealing with a to-do list that’s too long, your kids will learn that as the appropriate response to stress.”
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As a parent or an adult mentor you empathize with kids more when you recognize that they worry too… As a child I worried constantly about my parents, to the point that it made me ill and constantly troubled myself. It was even hard knowing what to do or even understand their worries and emotional behaviors that made we siblings scared. If we tried to talk to them, there was always push back. They would say, “go away and play, you don’t need to know.” Well, we went away alright, but we worried and worried more. It often felt like a gift when an adult would actually ask, “how are you feeling today, Stephen?” These are the flashback of my childhood, both good but mostly bad…
So, practice talking to your children often. When you see them crying or worried, pay attention. Your words of love and support make a huge difference in giving kids a secure feeling and hope for better days for mom & dad…and the family… It really hurts kids when parents do not talk to them or look at them. This is the kind of home culture that causes “emotional neglect” and baggage carried forward to deal with later when it is harder for everybody…
Steve Sparks
Author
Reconciliation: A Son’s Story click to order…
