To all of you who look forward to schoolofparenting.co.uk blog daily, I’m grateful for your gift. Thank you all for trusting me well enough to follow me through your journey of parenting. I don’t take it for granted.
2024 is here now and is running, I’d advise you to have a meeting with each of your child separately, look into their eyes, and tell them what you’re grateful for about them. For example, my dear Oma, I’m grateful for having you as my daughter, or I’m grateful for having you as my baby girl. Talk about the things they did well. Talk about how they behaved when you all went to visit family friends, talk about how they shared their toys with their friends, talk about how they wake up in the morning to do their chores without being told to do so. Tell them how much you love them. Please, be specific so they know what exactly you’re talking about, and this makes it easy for them to connect with you. If your children are young, please carry them on your special lap if possible.
Afterwards, ask them ‘’what does mummy do that makes Oma happy’’? I couldn’t stop saying Aww! during my sections with my 2 – and 4-year-old children yesterday. Honestly, it was my best moments. It was heartwarming for me that my children were able to say and explain in detail what I do to make them happy.
One of the things my son, Golden said in his section was, ‘’you cared for me’’, and I asked how? he said, ‘’remember yesterday (that was a day before) when I fell downstairs and hurt my tommy, I was crying, and you came and carried me’’. I was shocked hearing this from my two and half years old son.
The next question to ask is, what does mummy do that makes you sad. I was shocked too because both of them said the same thing. Remember, it was a separate section with them and even with my intentionality, they still had something to say that makes them sad. You see, this is why I always say that there’s no perfect parent anywhere in the world. Our mistakes are our learning opportunity to get better each day.
If your children are young and can’t express themselves, just carry them on your lap, sing one or two songs for them then, say things like “I love you because you’re my special baby girl.” “I’m called a mother because of you “, Your smile gives me inner strength to always do my best, I love you. Remember, it must be exciting to be fun. If possible, use a different tone of voice.
Dear intentional parents, I trust that you will do this exercise with your individual children. The truth is, children are the most honest beings, so they’ll tell their honest truth, which will help you know where you’re falling short and what you can do better next time. This is a new year, no excuse because if you find excuses, you’ll definitely see it, but if you find a way, you’ll get it. 5-10 minutes is all you need to do this. Please, feel free to share your children’s responses openly or private with me. Happy New Year!
