Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) June/July 2020 Aspire Magazine FULL Issue | Page 67

them more self-reliant and encourages them
to decide what they need and what makes
them happy.
Become Aware of What
You’re Silently Teaching
We can all attest to the fact that kids learn
more from our actions than our words!So,
think about this. Do you have moments
when you’re just ‘being’ or are you constantly
cleaning, shopping, talking or getting
distracted by your phone? If you don’t like the
message you’re sending, then decide where
in the day you want to add in a moment of
just “being” to model downtime to your kids.
Reflect
Finally, it’s okay to go deeper. Our thoughts
and beliefs impact our feelings, which
influence our actions. So, if we want to make
a change or become more intentional about
how we are responding to our kids we need
to take some time to reflect.
When your kids come to you with their
boredom consider what you’re making it
mean about you and about them?
Your role is to guide
them to figure out what
they like to do, how they
like to use their time,
and make it okay to just
do nothing. YOU don’t
have to keep them busy!!
can become curious. We try to understand
what they’re going through and wonder how
to guide them forward. Then, our response
creates a supportive experience.
When we take the pressure off ourselves,
and our kids, and release the ‘shoulds’ we
can open up to the idea that boredom isn’t a
bad thing. It’s not a sign that we’re not doing
enough or a negative reflection of our child.
Instead we can view it as a lifelong gift that
shows the importance of down-time and
balance in daily life.
RELATIONSHIPS
If we believe that our kids won’t find
something to do on their own, we can become
judgmental of our parenting and of our kids.
Maybe we’re thinking we’ve somehow failed
or that our child is lazy. Then, we respond in
ways that lead to frustration and guilt.
Yet, if we believe this is a natural part of
childhood and our kids are seeking help, we
Karen Delano - Karen helps moms feel more confident in their
parenting decisions, more in-control of their emotions, and
ultimately, more like the mom they want to be! A mom of three
herself, Karen’s been a teacher, run a play school, and is now a
certified parent and transformational life coach. You can find her at
https://ifitweresimple.com/
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