Additional Thoughts

There are three common mistakes we, as parents, make which cause our children to doubt their self-worth.

1. Parental Insensitivity  As a parent, guard what you say in front of your children.  How many times have I had parents come to me regarding their children and give the nitty-gritty details of their child’s problem while the object of the conversation (the child) is standing a yard behind them listening to the candid details of all their faults.  Parents, we should not only be sensitive but sensible.
2. Fatigue and Time Pressure  Parents are often pricked to the limits of their endurance by what I call the time pressure.  Dad is holding down three jobs, and huffs and puffs to keep up with it all; Mom never has a free minute.  She carries the kids to school and then is off to work.  She picks the kids up from daycare, prepares the evening meal, washes dishes, does homework, off to ball practice or music lessons, bathes the kids, puts them to bed, and then drops down on the couch, only to remember she has to do it all over again tomorrow..  As the commercial says, “Slow down, America!”  What’s your rush, anyway?  Do you really call this living?  No wonder our children turn to the world to give them “time.”  We are so busy that we fail to give them what they long for: US.  But often because of pressure, all they get from us are words of anger and sarcasm.  So much for their self-worth!
3. Guilt  In case you haven’t noticed, parenthood is a very guilt-producing affair.  As previously mentioned above, we are busy and know our children need our time and love, but we must also be providers as well.  All of this equals to a feeling of guilt and failure.  Sit down, write out and re-evaluate your time and finances, and see if you cannot re-arrange your schedule for at least one hour a day of quality time with your child and along with that, attempt to give them a special day out of each week when the family spends time together.  They are worth it, aren’t they?