Raising Kids With a Healthy Mindset

We are not just raising kids; we are raising moms, dads, business people and tomorrows leaders. Are we giving them all the preparation they need? I have heard countless times we are never quite ready to have kids, let alone raise them. Never ready? There are a lot of things we can get ready for and I believe raising kids is one of them. What we need is the understanding and awareness of what being ready means. There are multiple aspects to raising kids, none which are very easy. As parents, we need to be aware of these aspects and understand how they work and affect us. Our kid’s mental and emotional health is at stake. Doesn’t it make sense that we need to equip them as best we can? It use to be considered enough to love and provide for our kids. That old school way of thinking did not account for our children's mental, emotional and self image. These are rarely spoken of but play a huge roll in raising successful kids. The saying, “We are never really ready to raise kids,” does not set well with me, I could not disagree more. Our society has helped to shape our thinking as the only way to be ready, is financially. Although important, it is far from the only item on the, “being ready” list. What about self love and emotional stability? Positive self talk and parental verbal reinforcement are important. Anger issues, if any, should be dealt with. Ignoring them will not make them go away. Of all these, there is one common denominator and that is, choice. We can ignore these, or work on them but that is a choice. Aside from inherited disorders, there are no predestined elements. We can make them workable and manageable in our own lives so our kids receive double benefits. This introduction is the first of a series on raising kids with a healthy mindset. Kids need their parents, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally. The problem is, too many parents are leaving out the last two of the three. Where does a healthy self image come from? It mostly comes from the parents and their surroundings. Are we showing and teaching our kids everything we should be? It could be what we are not doing that causes the most harm and were probably not even aware of it. Next week, we will dive into what it means to be ready. There are multiple things we can do for our kids, so that they can be ready for life and that we program them in a healthy way. I have never met anyone who wanted to be a failure at raising kids. My hope is this series will increase your awareness to be an even more successful parent. Have a great Friday everyone, be blessed.