It’s a given that parents want to raise happy kids. The problem is that it doesn’t always turn out as planned due to numerous factors. When parents have a baby, they are so full of love and gratitude and pledge to do everything they can to provide a safe and loving environment for that baby.
Spiritually speaking, parents want to be able to influence their children to feel loved not only by them, but also by something greater, such as God, the universe, cosmic energy, or whatever they believe to be greater. Spiritual parenting involves a great deal of unconditional love for the child, despite behaviors or attitudes. It also involved quality communication between the entire family.
Experts state that in order to raise happy children, parents ought to be happy themselves. If a parent is depressed or angry much of the time, that does not model happy behavior to the children and it will have a negative effect on them. Additionally, if the parents have marital problems and argue a lot, the children will tend to be sadder or even have behavioral issues.
Children love to copy their parents, so be a good role model. Take care of yourself and make yourself happy. Action speaks louder than words, and your actions – how you live your life and make yourself happy – will inspire your children to do the same. Inspiration is they key to raising happy kids. Inspire them to be happy, by being happy yourself.
Spiritual parenting also involves taking quality time with the children on a consistent basis. So many parents today are bogged down with work, chores, their television shows and/or internet games, they have little free time left. The time that they do have they tend to want to do something that they enjoy, like go shopping or golfing.
It is essential to plan quality time as a family in order for optimal family health. You can make one evening a week “family night” and play games, go out to eat, rent a movie, go roller skating, or a host of other activities. Children love to spend time with their parents, so be sure to make the investment consistently.
Another important characteristic of spiritual parenting is the ability to set and keep healthy boundaries. The purpose of boundaries is to protect your children and help them feel safe. If they don’t have any boundaries they will keep pushing their limits and may end up hurting themselves (by eating poorly, talking to strangers, taking drugs, alcohol etc.).
Children need boundaries, or they will think they can do whatever they want and get away with it. Boundaries will help them realize that the world does not revolve around them, and by respecting the limits of others they will become more considerate and empathic. If the child does something wrong and breaks a rule, have consequences handy so that the child will learn a lesson. Start while they are young so they will be used to it through the growing process. Sit down with them and go over the rules of what is acceptable and what is not.
However, it’s important to allow the child to think for themselves so that they can develop their self-esteem. Setting boundaries should always leave room for your child to grow. Don’t get carried away by intervening too much, because that will do more harm than good. For example, teach your child to see options in life and making decisions by saying things like: “You are right, you can choose not to do this, but if you choose not to do this, you are not going to the party next week end”.
Included in a loving environment ought to be abundant praise for who your child is. Praise him or her for their essence, and not just solely for good things that they do. This way they will learn that they are loved unconditionally for who they are, no matter if they make mistakes or not. This is an important lesson for them to learn because making mistakes in life will occur. So if you praise them no matter what, they will develop a strong self esteem and be more prepared for life.
Spiritual parenting is not as difficult as you may think. If you want to learn more, read up on books by spiritual men or women who have traveled that road and have learned some lessons along the way. They will be able to offer great advice and tips so you can take your spiritual parenting to a new level.