What Kids Need: A Family with Love

Number one with kids is a family that expresses love for each other.  That makes for a comfortable and cozy place to be themselves that is peaceful.  There is nothing like it and nothing that will replace such a protective cocoon for kids.  As the parents, you must make sure that the home exemplifies just that for kids.  Address any teasing that goes too far and ensure that it ends entirely and doesn’t happen again.  Having both parents present and contributing to the fun and enjoyment of family is the best that life offers.  It gives kids a head start that is unduplicatable.  Help the family think of the unit as we, not as competitive, not with jealousy, but inclusive thinking of everyone.  Work with the environment to develop the mentality that “we” means some decisions are made for the betterment of the family unit, not the individual and that, that is okay.

In growing up with other siblings myself, our family was far too competitive; even though we all went slightly different ways, the support wasn’t there for each other.  That, in turn, contributes to lower self-esteem, low self-confidence, and a lack of ability to make decisions with confidence.  Here’s what I know:  A family that enjoys each other is a healthy family that will last, stay together, and supports each other regardless.  There is just nothing in the world to replace a gift like this.  It is the ultimate environment to retreat to when things are difficult.  It is the people with whom you can speak about things that bother you.  It is the example of how to live to which you refer when making your own life.  Without this stability, many things in a young person’s life are topsy-turvy.

To step into my faith, treat people like you would want to be treated or do unto others as you would have them do unto you, the Golden Rule.  It is a dependable and straightforward guideline for operating, mainly when things are difficult or when you find yourself confronted with hostility or anger.  I challenge you as a parent reading this to do just this.  Create a home that is so warm and comfortable that family members can’t wait to get home and share their day.  If you are a single parent, you can still create such a home without pushing yourself beyond your limits.  There are so many living situations, and they can all work.  Help to find that wonderful, beautiful, and cozy place for your young person(s).  I hope that this gives you a challenge and an inspiration to do just that.

For more in this series on What Kids Need, please see What Kids Need: Personal Standards – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

What Kids Need: Empathy – Dr. Rich Patterson (pattersonphd.com)

Another great link on What Kids Need is Types of parents don’t matter; what kids need most is love (opinion) – CNN

Yours for Better Parenting,

Rich