I've noticed over the years that kids who are allowed to be emotionally honest develop a genuineness that more repressed kids don'...t ever seem to acquire. Their words match their facial expressions. Their actions match their words, and they relate from a position of strength.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
When children are treated with respect, they conclude that they deserve respect and hence develop self-respect. When children are ...treated with acceptance, they develop self-acceptance; when they are cherished, they conclude that they deserve to be loved, and they develop self-esteem.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Nurturing competence, the food of self-esteem, comes from acknowledging and appreciating the positive contributions your children ...make. By catching our kids doing things right, we bring out the good that is already there.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Unconditional love is loving your kids for who they are, not for what they do.... I don't mean that we like or accept inappropriat...e behavior, but with unconditional love we love the children even at those times when we dislike their behavior. Unconditional love isn't something you will achieve every minute of every day. But it is the thought we must hold in our hearts every day.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Each child has his own individual expressions to offer to the world. That expression can take many forms, from artistic interests,... a way of thinking, athletic activities, a particular style of dressing, musical talents, different hobbies, etc. Our job is to join our children in discovering who they are.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
We may prepare food for our children, chauffeur them around, take them to the movies, buy them toys and ice cream, but nothing reg...isters as deeply as a simple squeeze, cuddle, or pat on the back. There is no greater reassurance of their lovability and worth than to be affectionately touched and held.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Self-esteem is the real magic wand that can form a child's future. A child's self-esteem affects every area of her existence, from... friends she chooses, to how well she does academically in school, to what kind of job she gets, to even the person she chooses to marry.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Our challenge as parents is to be patient enough to allow our children to take ten minutes to do something that would take us two ...seconds. We need to allow our children to develop what I call their "struggle muscle." This is developed the same way any other muscle develops, through regular exercise.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »
Everything our children hear, see, and feel is recorded onto a cassette. Guess who is the big star in their movie? You are. What y...ou say and, more important, what you do, is recorded there for them to replay over and over again. We all have videocassettes. Adults just have larger libraries of tapes available.LESSATTRIBUTION DETAIL »