Pause to Ponder

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.

If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.

If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.

If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.

If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.

If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.

If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.

If children live with encouragement they learn confidence.

If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.

If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.

If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.

If children live with fairness, they learn justice.

If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.

If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.

If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

~Dorothy Law Nolte

I think this poem has some great lessons in it and I would like to use it and the accompanying book as a framework to talk about values. But before I go any further you must promise me one thing. You must promise me that you will not read this as a checklist and use it to beat yourself up. None of us can be all these things all the time. WE ARE NOT PERFECT. I work with a lot of moms who heap a whole lot of guilt on themselves for making mistakes. I am not giving you more ammunition to use against yourself. But I do think we can work towards these things. We all want to raise confident, kind, patient, generous children. Here are some tips here to help us do that. Over the next few weeks lets look at them together and find ways to incorporate them into our daily lives.