Are you speaking truths into your kids?
You tell your kids many things every day. When it’s time to get up, what they need to remember to take to school, that you will pick them up after practice, and a multitude of other pieces of information, the most important being I love you.
However, as a parent, your job is not just to manage schedules and provide protection, it is to speak to the heart of your child, to raise humans that are strong, compassionate, and full of integrity–people that will make a positive difference in this world.
If you truly want your kids to become world-changers, then there are some truths that you should be speaking into their lives daily. Here are the five that helped shape our three kids’ lives, all now in their 30s.
You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
This quote from the Bible emphasizes that each person is unique, special, and beautiful. We wanted our kids Cristi, TJ, and Holli to know that from the words we spoke, and from how we treated them.
Parents can do this by recognizing each child’s uniqueness, by not comparing their children to one another, and by encouraging kids to pursue their talents and passions.
Someday you will change the world.
Whether it’s their corner of the world or a bigger sphere of influence, we wanted our kids to know they were and still are influencers, that we believe in them, and what they are going to do to make a difference in the lives of others.
I can’t tell the number of times I’ve said to my kids as they were going through something difficult, that this was making them stronger and that someday they would use it to help someone else.
We are always here for you.
As parents, we want our kids to know that we will always love them, no matter how much they may mess up. Nothing they can do will change that, even though we may not always give them what they think they want. We want our kids to know that we are their safe place.
We are proud of you.
Ted and I continue to say this to our kids often. We are proud of who they’ve become, not just in their accomplishments. We are proud of them just because they are OUR kids, not just because of what they’ve achieved in their jobs, although of course we are proud of that too. My dad used to look me in the eyes and say those four words often, “I’m proud of you.” I truly believe that helps build a strong foundation of security in children.
We are letting you go.
We will never stop loving and supporting them, but we must let them go to live their lives. Your kids may not be on their own yet, but you can still let them go in a hundred different ways. This prepares them and YOU for their big jump out of the nest.
There are hundreds of “truths” you tell your kids each day, but are you speaking the truths into them that will shape their character and be the guiding voice in their heads and hearts in years to come?
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