We’re talking about how to raise kind kids. In a world that seems to be run by a bunch of narcis (that’s what my husband and I call narcissists), it seems more important than ever to teach our future generations how to care for one another. So lets dive into How To Raise Kids That Are Future Innovators.
Here are some more sweet ideas that help form the future movers, shakers and way makers.
1. GIVE THEM SUPERPOWERS!
I have always told my kids that my kisses have superpowers; that with one (or a few) smooches to whatever and wherever is ailing them, that they would magically be healed. Parents say the craziest things sometimes, don’t we?! But why do parents get all the glory? Why are we the only healers in our kids’ minds?
I don’t know if it was because I always felt like my hands were full with twins and a toddler or if somewhere deep down I knew I was on to something (I am pretty sure it was the first one), but I taught my kids early on to take care of one another. When one of my littles would get hurt, I assured my other two that they had the same, “healing power” as I did. When I first told them that, they looked at me like I was a ‘weirdo with a beardo’. But I let them in on a little secret: that a little focused attention, TLC, an ice pack and a Band-Aid could cure almost anything. But let’s unpack this a little more.
Focused attention and TLC are what I’ve found to be the main ingredients for most rapid healing…and for exampling kindness. I was always pleasantly surprised that my kids were spontaneously healed if I would just stop long enough to acknowledge things weren’t OK with them. It was as if they just wanted to make sure that they mattered; that they were important enough for me to stop whatever (and I mean whatever!) I was doing to give them my undivided love and attention. Don’t we all kind of want that sometimes?
Making someone feel like they are the most important person in the entire world, if even for a moment, is something that EVERYONE craves, no matter our age or status. And empowering kids to make someone feel important is within their grasp, so let’s teach them young! Let’s equip them to be superheroes for making our world better. It can start within our own walls, within our own family dynamics and with our own siblings.
Now, when I hear one of my kiddos crying on the trampoline or wailing in the front yard, I pause…not because I don’t care or don’t want to make sure they are OK. I want to watch and see how my other littles respond. And there is almost no day that goes by (because let’s face it, kids cry a lot) that my littles put on their healing capes and turn into superheroes!
2. (TRULY) LET THEM CREATE
This one is a tough one for me but it is truly important for raising kind kids. Showing kindness to others means that we show others–in our own unique ways–that we love them. For a parent, allowing littles to demonstrate love can often mean a lot of work, mess and clean-up for us. Anyone else feel my pain here? Often, my girls want to make a special card (of which glue and glitter is never spared), wrap up presents for each other, or create beautiful flower bouquets for me. These all sound so sweet and kind, right?! But behind the scenes are pens scattered all over the floor and wrapping paper boxes left out for me to stub my toe on when I crawl into bed at the end of a long day. Or my favorite: seeing the snapdragons that have finally bloomed or the one measly rose that finally blossomed on my bush picked and displayed in one of my daughter’s many floral arrangements.
These are always categorized into what I call those Humble Mom Moments. It’s these moments when we parents have to put ourselves in check about what really matters. REALLY matters! Does it matter that my pots look perfect with the latest spring blossom or does it matter more that my kids want to create beauty, share love and make someone’s day by the gifts they create? Oh, serve me up a piece of that humble pie.
I continue to learn that to raise kids that are future innovators, we must raise them up, nurture their strengths and let them show us how they show kindness and love. For one of my girls, she shows kindness by the sweet surprises she creates on almost a daily basis. For my other little angel, her kindness shines by the deeds she does for her family: the way she runs in the house to gather water for her siblings when they are playing a fierce game of jump-over-the-balls in the trampoline. My son shows his kindness by the constant kisses he walks around giving when he is feeling led to do so (other times you might get a drive-by swat on the leg while he’s running down the hallway). But at the root of it all is my ability to let go of having a perfectly clean house, flower-filled pots (instead of the stems left behind), or all my “ducks in a row.” If my kids are displaying love and kindness, then to me, my ducks–my priorities–are exactly where they need to be.
If you missed Part 1 of this article, you might want to go back and read it first before continuing. Here’s the link:
