Ginny here from DIFY (Do It For Yourself).  I wanted to send you a few words about play, specifically your kids and watching how they play.

I taught elementary kids for 17 years and there were many times that a child would have a problem on the playground or in my class that was minor but still caused self-esteem issues and sometimes even learning trials.  If it was severe enough, I would obviously contact parents and get their input, but most of the time I found that if I watched them in social situations like recess or lunch I could usually get a handle on what was going on. 

Many parents don’t realize that their children communicate very well.....with their actions.  The younger the child, the harder it can be for them to find the words to describe why they are upset or not happy with their world.  I learned many times, more than I wanted to know about an unhappy child’s home life by watching their play and how they acted and reacted to situations their friends created for them.              

If you are finding that your kids’ communication is minimal or even non-existent, watch them with their friends for a few days.  Watch how they interact with different groups.  Go to their school and watch them in the classroom without their knowledge.  Watch for actions and reactions involving your kids that could be improved upon to begin building a more balanced person. 

When you are doing this observation, you must keep all emotion out of your observations.  This isn’t a time for judgement about who is doing right and who is doing wrong.  It is a time for you to honestly learn how to help your child be successful in their everyday life.  Pay attention to what you are thinking about as you watch your child.  If you let your emotions control your thoughts, you will not be able to make important decisions concerning what honest changes you can make to help your child be a more happy and productive individual.              

When adults are working toward a more balanced life for themselves and their kids, honesty concerning lifestyle changes and thinking strategies can seem overwhelming to take on, but when the end goal is to create a more balanced world for your kids by creating a more balanced world for yourself you can begin by taking the first step.  That step can be simply setting a daily goal to honestly check in with all of your kids before everyone starts their day.  Kids know when you are sincerely interested in their lives by the interest you show in them as a person. 

Start each day by showing them they matter.  Believe it or not, they need to hear you tell them that they are important. 

I can’t tell you how many times I had a student tell me that their mom or dad didn’t care what they did.  That hurt my heart and I know if those parents really heard those words, it would have made a difference in how they reacted to their kids.

If you would like more information on living a more balanced life, so your kids can do the same, please contact me today!

We will cover identifying customized steps that you can take immediately to begin living a more balanced life.

To your life, A LIFE WORTH LOVING

With love,

Ginny VanOeveren

DIFY (Do It For Yourself)