Last month I wrote a post about praising the good in our children. The Lord has been helping me to see the good in my children, and to stop focusing so much on the bad. And I always keep my "list" handy should I start focusing on the negatives. :)
You have heard from me, and now it's time for me to hear from you.....
Have you noticed a change in your children since you started praising the good?
Did you make a literal list or a mental list?
Has the atmosphere of your home changed for the better?
Now that it's been a few weeks, I would love to hear about the results of your "experiment". :)
Have a blessed day, friends!
I was gone for four days, so I was not able to put this into practice. Yet, I have noticed a change when I speak calmly instead of shouting or angry. We all respond better to kind words.
ReplyDeletem.
So true, Maria. We all love words of encouragement. :)
DeleteI struggle with this one. I am always watching for the bad to pop up and quickly correct it. I missed the post last month but I am going back to read it and am truely going to work on this! Thank you! My heart feels lighter already!
ReplyDeletePraying for you in this area, Monica. :)
DeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteI just read your first post in this series (I'm a little slow I know). Anyway, thank you for this reminder, I needed it. I have even encouraged other women to praise their children more, not just discipline them because it is so effective and so encouraging to the children. However, I haven't been doing very good at praising lately. So thank you for gently reminding me.
Blessings,
Rashel
Thanks for stopping by, Rashel. It's always great to hear from you. :)
DeleteLisa, just thinking of this brings a big lump of guilt to my throat:/ I have really failed in this area lately. I feel overwhelmed with so many things and then the kids don't do what their "supposed" to do. Well let just say I am less than loving -yuck- this is such a hard time for me. I love the idea of a list, I will make one and maybe that will help. I guess that my oldest is the one that dose not get praised the most because my expectations of him are the highest. The other day a friend told me your son is AMAZING (speaking of my oldest). She then ask what special things we do to reward him for being such a help. Oh conviction was heavy, I often have even forgot even a thank you because I expect him to do those things. Then I started thinking what should I do to "reward" him. I think after reading this reminder the best thing to do is praise him! I remember hearing my Mamaw praise me to other people but she never once said those things to me. I will defiantly be making some changes thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteTesha,
DeleteMothering is good at that: making us feel guilty when we don't think we're measuring up. And being overwhelmed is something I struggle with every single day. But the fact that you were "convicted", as you said, is wonderful! That means you are sensitive to the Lord's prompting. Things are going to start looking up at your house. :)
Grace to you. :)
Hi Lisa, I have found when I am calm our house is calm. When I touch and encourage our kids they respond differently to me & each other. Thank you for this today.
ReplyDeleteAmanda,
DeleteI've heard it said that the mother is the barometer of the home. How true. And I have seen a difference in my children - and the atmosphere of my home - when I praise the good. :)
Thanks for sharing.
I do a good amount of praising, but like a poster above, I am not always calm, since my natural tendency is toward nervousness. My mother smoked when she was pregnant with me and I've often wondered if that creates a nervous temperament. She smoked also when pregnant with my brother, who is also nervous. My sister is calm...my mother didn't smoke during that pregnancy.
ReplyDeleteWhen my children sense that I'm getting overwhelmed and moving about quicker, answering with short answers, etc. they begin to act more needy or hyperactive as a response to my stress (one child in particular, but all to a certain extent). So all my praising, which I brought from my classroom years, doesn't help maintain a calm.
It does, however, make them feel good about themselves and that's a wonderful thing. They believe my praises when I make them specific rather than general. i.e. I like the way you blended the colors, instead of, I really love your picture. I like the way you vacuumed the corners too, instead of, you did a good job vacuuming.
Parenting is just hard! For every good thing I do, there are others I do wrong. But the experience is always a blessing!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Excellent point, Christine.....not just praising the good, but being specific about the praise-worthy deed. Parenting is hard. And I need work on many other points. Just taking it one day at a time. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
Much love to you!