Spiritual Parenting - How to Affirm Your Child's Innate Sense of Truth
The core of your child's being is his spirituality.
From here grows his sense of self esteem and the values and morals which bring his sense of belonging.
Spiritual Parenting allows you to nurture your child's spirituality by creating magic through dancing, music and nature, and through sharing feelings and imagination.
Music
Sing together often. Use music cd's, dvd's, instruments, pot lids, the sound of the wind, rain drumming on the roof, your voices, concerts, community events. Sing while you walk, bath, cook, clean and play. Make up songs, create nonsense rhymes and tunes, sing the words of favourite books instead of reading them.
Dance
Dance with your children often - through this glorious experience children learn about the joy of music and movement. Be a mirror to your child through your own sense of delighting in dance.
Imagination
Open your child up to beauty and wonder by endowing the daily routine with peace and magic. Reveal this through loving guidance, through imaginative play and through your words, actions, songs and joy.
Nature
Go out often into nature through the changing seasons. Let your child get wet in puddles, skip together instead of walking, stop often to notice a different smell, make sure that you yourself delight in the marvel of the great outdoors. Learn together the names of plants and trees and delight in each others knowledge. Set up a nature table at home where new discoveries can be invited and encouraged.
Feelings
Teach your children to name their feelings by acknowledging and naming your own. "I'm feeling sad right now. That makes me feel very happy. I feel upset. I feel surprised". "I feel" statements will encourage your children to come up with their own, thus creating a healthy and wholesome sense of self. Ask them often, "How does that make you feel?"
Listen to your child as well as talking with him. This validates not only his sense of self, but allows for the growth of his intuitive self. Really listen for what he is saying and show him that you hear.
Magic
Show your child that life is magical, enchanting, rich and astonishing by creating unexpected pockets of surprise for them. Spiritual parenting helps your child cope well with change in life by giving life a mystical quality instead of a fearful approach. This enables a sense of adventure.
Years later my two eldest children still talk about the time their father woke them up at midnight, and then took them in their pyjamas on a car ride to see the first lights on the village Christmas tree. By creating a magical adventure through his own infectious joy, their father gave them an opportunity to extend their own inner magic through his spiritual parenting approach.
Silence
Don't be afraid to teach them about the beauty of silence. Encourage your young children to enjoy undisturbed quiet moments in your company. Show them by enjoying moments of silence in their presence, sitting quietly with your eyes closed. Teach them the value of walking together without talking. This is how they learn to feel their own inner peace.
Cherishing
Cherish them with physical affection, with words of love, with little gifts of flowers, unusual finds in the garden, written notes and through reading, playing and singing together.
Give them your undivided time and attention when you are walking with them, encouraging them to talk about their day, their friends, their hopes and dreams and encourage, encourage, encourage.
Bedtime
Create bedtime rituals that focus on the special nature of each of your children. Settle them into sleep feeling nourished, cherished and special. Try telling them "I love you today because..." and add a new reason for every night. Spiritual parenting in this way is a calm, child centred approach.
Do Children Suffer When Parents Refuse Marriage Help?
Have you ever thought how your children are affected by the relationship between you and your spouse? If your marriage can really use some assistance, then chances are high that your children have already taken note. Are your children affected because of you and your partner's refusal to obtain the marriage help that you deserve and need? Children are able to pick up emotions like frustration, anxiety, sadness and anger. According to your child's age, they might or might not be able to express and understand these emotions, but children can also feel and experience these emotions. Children are affected when parents feel concerned about their marriage.
Your children are actually aware of the raging emotions that occur in the home, whether you or your mate prefers the silent treatment or you both get into a screaming competition. If you are ware that your marriage needs some help and there is cause for concern, it is not a bad idea to explore some options.
There are many ways which marriage help is available. One good way to assist your marriage is to go out with the kids from time to time. Confrontation in front of your children is sure to occur at some time regardless of how hard both parents may try to avoid this. This is not always a bad thing as children bicker among themselves and are able to make up again. This shows that adults can do the same. It is advisable that hot topics are spoken about privately with your mate. Having a date with your sweetie by just dressing up and going out on the town will be of great assistance to your marriage. Use the opportunity to discuss private issues in your marriage. A child sitter on a more frequent basis may be the simple solution. It could be marital help in the form of counseling is what is needed. Whatever the outcome time alone to talk about the issues is what is required.
It can be really stressful to keep going with work, bills and kids but you must remember to try to have some fun with each other. The best medicine for your marriage could be to remember how to laugh and have fun.
If you and your spouse arrange for marital help by way of counseling, then your children will be aware that daddy and mommy are making time for each other. This shows the children that you are working together. Refusal to get marriage help that you require will emit exactly the wrong message to your kids. The children will take note that the family isn't functioning together; Right out the window goes co-operation and teamwork.
Even though your spouse refuses help, it can still be to the advantage of both you and your children if some self-help techniques are tried. Improving yourself is always positive. If you feel the need for budget tips, a support group, counseling or a sitter then by all means you should locate it. The benefits you will receive will reflect in your marriage. Marital help can come in different forms.
If you improve, your spouse will be able to tell the difference. The children will also take note when daddy and mommy are getting along better. The whole family environment in the home revolves around the relations between family members, children behaviors and attitudes can follow the same negative path, if parents refuse marital help that is needed. When parents utilize marital help and benefit form it, children are able to notice the positive changes within the family. The family unit does not make a marriage work but a marriage can make a family.
