How To Make Your Kid’s Day

I was reminded of some advice today and I want to share it with you.  Practicing this advice is one way to make your kid’s day (and maybe a lot more).  Here it is; encourage your children.  Seems obvious right?  Well I also heard that we criticize our kids, on average, 10 times more than we encourage them.  So I guess it’s not that obvious or at least not that easy.

I was reminded of this, because the past few days with our little Sammie have been tough.  He’s been whiney, needy, and clingy (and I mean to an extreme degree) and it feels like he’s reverted back to how he would act when he first joined our family.  It has become a lot easier to notice the negative things and pass over the positive.

Then this morning I had just finished changing Sammie’s diaper.  And the old diaper, the one ready to be banished to the farthest ends of earth, sat there next to him.  I asked Sammie to take it to the door, which he did; in fact, he does it for me whenever I ask.  I was grateful that he had helped me and I made sure to make it a moment where I showered him with encouragement for doing it.  Then a little later, in front of Heather, I encouraged him again for his good deed (I’ve also heard that when you encourage your kids in front of others it multiplies the effect).  I’m certainly not expecting this one encouragement to be all I need to do for the day, but I do know this, it’s a start.

Maybe you can relate to this.  Some of my best memories are of times when a parent, teacher, or authority figure encouraged me.  Who knows?  Maybe you will make more than your kid’s day.  Maybe you will make a lasting memory or give them an experience that shapes them.

How do you find yourself encouraging your kids?  Was there a time when you were young that you specifically remember someone encouraging you?

Do you have a few more minutes?  Check out my post on 10 things that I want to teach my children.

with hope,

the petersons

"Caleb. One of my many kids that I want to try and encourage."