Beautiful things we can do for our children of all ages |

Beautiful things we can do for our children of all ages

by Rod Smith

As much as you are able, live a full, complete life. Our children enjoy seeing us fulfilled. When we are not there is an unspoken pressure that somehow they are responsible for making it right.
Offer freedom, space, room to grow. This is tough because we really don’t want our children to hurt. It’s likely your sons and daughters will be as willing to learn from you as you were to learn from your parents.
Give privacy, offer trust. How much you trust is up to you. How much privacy you afford is up to you. It is not up to what they may or may not deserve.
Love, welcome their friends even if their friends do not embody your values. Rejecting their friends can lead to greater issues than welcoming them.
Allow, even encourage, your children to correct you. Welcome their insights into what you can do better. We all have a lot to learn and teach.
Free them from the impossible burden of having to “complete” you. Complete yourself so they are relieved of the pressure.
Listen to what they will not or cannot say. Be sure it is not your own voice you are hearing. I have often thought I had heard my sons when I was really encountering my own unaddressed issues.