Children Are...

I think sometimes parent forget to appreciate their children.  While working at a chiropractors office out of Keene New Hampshire I stumbled across a wonderful poster that was stashed in a back room. This particular chiropractor was by far one of the most family oriented men I have ever met and my respect for him for being able to keep that while owning his own business is more than I can express.  Think about this next time you find yourself annoyed at your child’s over active imagination, or unappreciative of their resourcefulness or spontaneity. 

Children Are…

Amazing… Cherish them

Believable … Trust them

Childlike…Allow Them

Delightful … Relish in them

Energetic … Nourish them

Fallible … Forgive and teach them

Gifts… Treasure them

Here now… Be with them

Imaginative … Dream with them

Joyful … Appreciate them

Kindhearted … Learn from them

Loveable … Adore them

Magical … Fly with them

Noble… Esteem them

Open minded… Respect them

Precious… Value them

Questioners… Encourage them

Resourceful … Support them

Spontaneous … Enjoy them

Talented … Believe in them

Unique … Affirm them

Vulnerable … Protect them

Whole… Recognize them

Xtraspecial… Celebrate them

Yearning… Notice them

Zany… Laugh with them

Your job, your obligation, as a parent, is to raise your child to be the best person they can be.  To let them see their potential and help them reach it.  To give them all the building blocks they’ll ever need so that they can figure out what combination will get them where they want to go in life.  To do that, you’re going to need to learn to speak your first language.  Not that of an adult, but that of a child.  You can’t tell a child to be patient without teaching them what patience means.  You can’t tell a child that they need to share without first teaching them what sharing is.  And while yes, the ultimate goal is to have your child grow into an upstanding adult who can make their way in this world…you also need to teach them that it’s okay to be a child.  Every child deserves a healthy childhood, I believe being able to explore that and get it out of their system not only allows them to become an upstanding adult, but allows them to laugh at themselves, to get through life alive, and allows them to have an amazing childhood to refer to when they start raising their own.   Let them imagine, let them create, let them learn things by trial and error.  Let them feel protected when they're scared, and give them the confidence to face their fears on their own.  We know as parents we need to teach our children to have patience...but we also need to remember to have patience of our own and let our children be children.