It is my sincere belief, that if all children were raised with a true sense of validation, mutual respect, and positive discipline,

our world would function with a more peaceful and productive mind set in every aspect.

 

I will explain why.

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A sense of validation, for instance, means to feel accepted. The stresses of worry or lack of confidence are highly lifted when we can feel a sense of belonging and acceptance from others. Oprah Winfrey once said, “The biggest thing all humans want is the need to feel accepted.” As a parent, we don’t have to agree with everything our children think and feel, but it is important to validate their thoughts and feelings. Every person has a right to their own feelings, whether another person agrees with it or not. When teaching our children how to respect it means much more than just saying the word “Respect”. We need to define what the word ‘respect’ means, and most importantly we need to demonstrate those respectful actions in front of our children to show HOW to respect others, and of course, ourselves. I can tell you, had I understood the importance of respecting myself, I would have saved myself a LOT of heartache throughout my adult years! I can also tell you, that it is very difficult for me to honor another person who is treating me in a yucky way… yelling at me, putting me down, or making me feel insignificant. So, let’s remember … in order to RECEIVE RESPECT, we have to GIVE RESPECT! I use the term ‘Positive Discipline’ because it means teaching our children how to do the right thing by offering them a POSITIVE LESSON LEARNED. ‘Discipline’ comes from the Bible, from the word “Disciple”, which means ‘a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher’. So the word Discipline means to TEACH. When we as parents have an opportunity for a ‘Teaching Moment’, it is important that we give our children an opportunity to LEARN. Situations like spanking or yelling, will only teach our children FEAR and thoughts of worthlessness. Learning to be creative when redirecting our children by offering a consequence that will actually TEACH them HOW to properly handle situations will carry on throughout their entire adulthood and instill confidence and problem solving skills that will last a lifetime! That is powerful!!