Raising children has many challenges. Everything from picking out their outfits to feeding their never ending appetites makes living with your child quite the task. You as a parent may feel many times overwhelmed or that what you do does not really matter. I urge you to steer clear of these feelings quickly after you have acknowledged them. If you have ever had the experience of your child mimicking a poor choice of words or a bad habit then hopefully you realize on a grander scale that much of your choices shape your child. If you honestly do your best then I commend you. As we become more aware of what really matters for our kids and our family in life (aka growing up) then we can shape our lives to be more productive in living a life of purpose. These next three points add rocket fuel to your potential as a parent and definitely to your child’s potential as they grow.
The Power Of Belief…
Many of us felt unprepared for taking care of a child and helping them learn to grow. Whether or not we were ready we believed and knew we had to do it. Other people have done it before so the task is not impossible. Hundreds of obstacles come up and can overwhelm you easily if you let them but right when this point hits is when someone with much greater experience comes along. Someone like a grandparent or a nice parent at the grocery store smiles at you and tells you it will be ok. This is the feeling of acceptance. That peaceful relaxation that comes over you because you know it is going to be hard but worth it if you make it out on the other end. (Which you will!)
Belief in your child, no matter the goal they wish to accomplish or the diagnosis they were given, is key to unlocking their potential. If your child believes they will never accomplish something they will most likely never try. If you do not try then you are guaranteed never to succeed. I think we could all remember a time in our lives when someone helped us believe that we are better than we thought. Remember the power of belief when you are told your child has a limit.
Learning From Experience…
Why is it that most wise people are the older ones? Thinking about learning any skill or thought process it is simple to see that the more we repeat something the more engrained it becomes into our brain. Bringing neurophysiology into the conversation, the more your brain senses certain things in the environment or reacts to something the stronger your brain gets programmed that way. Give your child as many experiences as possible so they learn many choices for dealing with struggles in life. Take at least one of these major points away and watch your child begin to live a higher quality of life.
Quitting Is For Failures…
How do you fail? Hopefully that is a simple answer in your mind. Quitting. Quitting is the only way to truly fail. The power of persistence is an amazing gift we have been given. When we are faced with a goal that is insurmountable we can either give up or look at our path we have chosen to get there and change our game plan. Any book or guru on success will drill this into your head as best they can because it truly is the biggest key to unlocking your child’s potential.
