The Tree of Life
During my four-year-old granddaughter’s visit, I experienced a very special moment. She was doing some kind of flip and wanted me to watch. I watched her attempt to flip over and then I gave her a huge applause and told her what a great job she did, her response was, “Girls can do so much.” I agreed with her and told her that I love being girl and she responded, “I love being a girl too, you just have to be awesome.” How amazing that a four-year-old exhibited so much confidence. She already has love for self. I was so proud, and I thought, she is already on her way to being a confident woman. Jaiden often looks in the mirror, and says, “I look pretty.” That’s what she says when she looks at her reflection in the mirror. I thought, “Wow, many grown women don’t have the confidence that this three-year-old has. Here are some facts about Jaiden, her mom and dad and I call her Princess Jaiden. We constantly tell her that she is a pretty girl, so she’s already in the mindset that she that she is someone special and she’s perfect just the way she is. I believe these things will be essential as Jaiden gets older and begins to form relationships with others. She won’t be pre-dispositioned to be jealous of another woman because she will be secure in her own self -image. She won’t be impressed by a man’s compliments because these will be things she’s heard all of her life.
I believe that many issues we have as adults stem from our childhood. They can manifest in many different ways, maybe we are quick to anger, maybe we are constantly in and out of relationships, and maybe we find difficulty sustaining meaningful friendships. If we really dug into our backgrounds, I believe we would find the cause or causes behind some of the issues that plague us as adults. What we experience as children, what is poured into us, helps to shape who we will become as adults. In my classroom, I give my students a motivational quote to reflection. I have them to tell me what it says in their own words and explain how it relates to them. I do this once a week, they don’t know it, but I’m planting seeds. Every week they hear about how they should believe in themselves, how they shouldn’t give up. As an educator, I make it my responsibility to nurture the character of my students.
As parents, we must be intentional about everything concerning our children. If we would replace, “You get on my nerve” “You’re so stupid.” “You can’t do anything right.” and pour in words like “You’re a prince/princess.” “I love you” “You’re so smart.” “You can do it.” “I believe in you.” We will go a long way in developing a confident person who loves him/herself. We must become aware of negative habits, identify them, and DECIDE to do or be something different. What you tell your children about themselves, they believe and internalise. They believe YOU. They believe you because who else would they believe? You are mom and dad. Mom says I’m great, so I’m great. Dad, says I’m a good for nothing so and so, so I’m a good for nothing so and so. Psalms 15:4 says, “The soothing tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.” Speak life to your children and watch them blossom under the pouring of your words.
