Remember our children are always watching us. They learn more about us from what we do than what we say. Therefore, more is caught than taught. As you read through this, think about how you can be an example to your child by practicing these steps as well.
Awareness - Help Them Be Aware of Their Pain
Help your child be aware of when they are in pain. Acknowledge and celebrate that that they made a mistake. Let them know it is normal and okay to feel bad about it. We are human and we are going to make mistakes. We don’t want them to be stuck in this space, however, we also don’t want to sugar coat it either.
Empathy - Help Them Empathize With Their Selves and Others
Often times we are hardest on ourselves. The things we find ourselves saying through self talk is just down right harmful. When you hear yourself or your child spiraling down this dark place, remind yourself or your child that they need to be empathetic toward themselves. Practice by thinking about what you would say to a good friend in this situation and say it to yourself.
Motivation - Help Them Create a Habit of Self Compassion
The latest research says it takes sixty-six plus times (Good Habits, Bad Habits) to do something before it becomes a habit. Helping your child practice self compassion now is going to help them grow and succeed in the future. Recently, Google launched Project Aristotle to find out what creates the most effective teams. They found out it is psychological safety. When we can be loving and kind to ourselves we are more loving and kind to others.
