I was recently asked how I encourage my children. I was curious what my kids thought so I decided I would share those thoughts first (along with some pictures of my gorgeous blue eyed kids.)
E, 9 – You encouraged me when I tried to learn to play my recorder. It was so hard so I just decided to make up my own stuff. You kept telling me to try harder and keep working at it and I would get better.
K, 6 – You encourage me when I make pictures. You tell me good job.
R, 4 – You tell me I’m doing a good job on Saturday when I am playing kitchen.
There you have it folks. Make sense? I actually didn’t even know my daughter played kitchen on Saturday but apparently I am just THAT good! I can encourage without being present.
Here’s the mommy take on encouraging my children. I would say first off that I don’t feel I am the best encourager in the world. You know, encouraging your kids takes time – time that could be spent doing other things. Instead of slowing down to really invest in my kids sometimes it’s easier to just say “Let it go, I will get it myself” or just brush off their attempts for help. I am honestly trying to slow down and encourage every step they need. After all, this is my investment into the future. Clean dishes, spotless living rooms? They are not an eternal investment like my kids are.
However, with the mountains of failure I see, looking back over the year I can say that I have encouraged my kids. Sure, maybe not enough, but I can see many instances where I have encouraged my kids by talking them through the hard things this last year. Instead of saying “Let’s find something new or easier”, I walk them through the hardship. Life is hard. When they face hard things in the future I want them to hear me in their head, encouraging them on through it so they can succeed.
When they have completed whatever it is they are doing or struggling with, I praise them and remind them that I know how hard they worked and of what they overcame to get through it. It could be anything from making a hard Lego sculpture to teaching my son to read, or my daughter cleaning her room, which once again looks like an episode of Hoarders.
How do you encourage your children?
About Heather McCurdy
Heather McCurdy writes at Real: The Kitchen and Beyond where she shows families how to slow down and savor life on any budget with tasty homemade recipes and family travel.
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