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#36: WORDS (Part 10)
AFFIRMING THEIR LOOKSAffirming our children’s physical appearance from birth helps them to stop comparing themselves unfavourably with others, particularly during their teenage years. In affirming their looks, we are helping them to distinguish between what they can change and what they cannot. So we might well encourage children to wash their hair, or provide a…
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#35: WORDS (Part 9)
WORDS OF AFFIRMATIONTalking In Their HearingSpeaking about our children in front of them will affect how they think about themselves. We have all heard parents talking disparagingly in their children’s hearing. They forget that their children are absorbing every word. A child may not react outwardly, especially when they are young, but will take on…
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#34: WORDS (Part 8)
WORDS OF AFFIRMATIONShowing Our PrideOur children may be teased, bullied, come bottom of the class, face disappointment and occasionally even wonder if they are worth anything to anybody. As parents we are in the best position to convince them that they are full of potential and have a unique contribution to make. We can assure…
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#32: WORDS (Part 6)
WORDS OF PRAISE2. Praising A Child’s CharacterTo counterbalance our celebrity culture, which defines success in terms of looks, fame or income, it is important to look out for the positive qualities of each child’s character. In doing so, we encourage the values we care about most. We might praise them for their generosity in sharing…
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#31: WORDS (Part 5)
WORDS OF PRAISE1. Looking Out For OpportunitiesSteve Chalke, author of “How to Succeed as a Parent”, writes – “The golden rule is this: catch your kids red-handed doing something right and praise them for it.” A primary school teacher said praise is the only sustainable strategy for managing behaviour and encouraging hard work in a…
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#30: WORDS (Part 4)
WORDS OF COMFORTOne seventeen-year-old boy was asked how he knew his parents loved him when he was a young child. He said, “They told me they loved me, allowed me to sleep in their bedroom when I was scared and comforted me. I remember Dad always said ‘it’s all right’ whenever I cried or had…
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#29: WORDS (Part 3)
WORDS OF AFFECTION 2. Saying What Is Best For Our ChildIt is important that we say these words of affection for our child’s sake, not ours, as otherwise they can be used to manipulate. “I love you. Do you love me?” is more about meeting a parent’s emotional needs than the child’s. We may have…
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#28: WORDS (Part 2)
WORDS OF AFFECTION1. Expressing Our LoveThe three words “I love you” have great power. Parents need to speak frequently of their love from the earliest months of their children’s lives all the way through the teenage years. The words “I love you” might be part of the bedtime ritual when they are younger, or the…
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#27: WORDS (Part 1)
As parents we can say things to our children that will affect how they think about themselves for the rest of their lives. Our words also have the power to crush. The way we talk to our children can become a habit – for good or bad. We can easily become fixated on our children’s…
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#26: Lost In The Middle Of Your Own Parenting Style (Part 8)
Owner or Ambassador? Today we look into the last area of distinguishing between the two styles. 4. REPUTATION: what tells people who you are and what you’re about.OWNER: Owner parents unwittingly turn their children into their trophies. They tend to want to be able to parade their children in public to the applause of the…
RBW FAMILY MINISTRIES 