I am a mother to a 5 year old boy, Jesse, and a 4 year old girl, Brooke. I originally wanted them to be this close together (16 months apart to be exact), so I would still have the newborn stuff easily accessible and not have to start with everything all over again. That part worked, but I didn’t realize how much work these little people would be. I love them with all my heart and I am grateful beyond words for being blessed with beautiful and healthy children. I only want the best for them, and for them to feel secure and loved in this crazy world.
I stumbled upon this beautiful post on Pinterest, and this statement rings so true for me:
In the midst of a busy day it’s easy for mamas to think of our children as “tasks” rather than as “hearts” we need to connect with.
I am guilty of working on the computer a lot of times and constantly having to finish tasks that I forget to “connect” with my children. We fail to notice it, but truthfully, they become the tasks we check off of our lists.
This thought brought tears to my eyes.
See, I am the type of person that finds it difficult to talk about my emotions. I tend to keep quiet about how I really feel to the point of exploding and still unable to verbalize what I really want to express because of mixed emotions/frustration all happening at the same time.
This gave me an inspiration to start a project that will hopefully facilitate better communication between me and my children (especially as they age):
This box contains a letter and cards containing words of praise. It tells our kids to pick a message that they want us to tell them at the moment, and it will serve as a wake up call for us to drop whatever we’re doing and focus on our child.
Here are the statements of praise on the cards:
I’m grateful for you.
You make me proud.
Your words are meaningful.
You have great ideas.
I love being your parent.
You don’t have to be perfect to be great.
Your opinions matter.
You are important.
You are loved.
I believe you.
I believe in you.
This family wouldn’t be the same without you.
You are valuable.
You can say no.
You can say yes.
I know you did your best.
You were right.
I accept who you are.
We can try your way.
You are helpful.
You are worth it.
You make me happy.
I love your creativity.
Being around you is fun.
I can’t wait to hear about it.
Don’t be afraid to be you.
You’re making a difference.
I’m excited to spend time with you.
You are interesting.
I love seeing the world your way.
It’s good to be curious.
I love the way you tell stories.
What you did was awesome.
I admire you.
That’s a great question.
Your friends are lucky to have you.
I trust you.
That was a really good choice.
Seeing you happy makes me happy.
Being your parent is my favorite job.
I learn new things from you every day.
You make me better.
You are a good boy/girl.
Thank you for being you.
I’m so glad you’re here.
You look great.
I understand you.
Watching you grow up is the best.
That was really brave.
I forgive you.
I appreciate you.
We all make mistakes.
Yes, me too.
You are very good at that!
You can try again tomorrow.
Nobody is perfect.
I love how you said that.
Not everyone will like you, and that’s OK.
You did that so well.
I’m listening.
That’s a very fair point.
You are beautiful inside and out.
I love you.
I could never stop loving you.
You are enough.
You make my heart full.
by Popsugar
Get it here.