Children Are a Reflection of Our Moods

The Dog Whisperer – Cesar Millan says: “Our dogs are our mirrors – but do we dare look into their eyes and truly see our reflection.”

When I read that, I realised that this is so true of our children as well. Whenever I critique my son, he will say: “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” and I have to laugh because I can’t argue with that. I’m sure, however, there there are parents who would disagree.

But, I know from years of experience that the attitude and the behaviour that I’ve aroused from my children was more about me than it was about them. Our attitude about our child plays a greater role in who they are and how they go out into the world than we realise.

When you are in a state of fear, worry, anger, or frustration… you will provoke unwanted behaviour from your child. And when you are in a state of affection, appreciation, joy and fun… you will inspire wanted behaviour from your child. Because within each of your children there are all sorts of possibilities, and your moods awaken those positive or negative reactions within them.

“In my work I’ve realised that the dogs weren’t the only ones that needed rehabilitation – the humans in almost all the cases were the root of the problem.” – Cesar Millan.

How do you encourage the best from your children?

For example, Mr. and Mrs. Smith have a son, little Johnny and Mr. Smith frequently discipline’s little Johnny in front of other people… “You’re a naughty, mischievous little boy and you are going from bad to worse”

To Mrs. Smith however, little Johnny is the apple of her eye and she brags about “her darling little boy” to everyone.

So in the presence of his father, he is the ill-behaved naughty boy that his father expects him to be, and is a well behaved little gentlemen when he is around his mother. We tend to live up to what is expected of us by those who are important in our environment.

“You are really individual beings, with very special talents, and it would be nice if teachers had the time, or parents had the awareness or skill, to see the children as the very individual, very special beings that they are.” – Abraham Hicks.

So before you can have a good relationship with others, your children, your spouse, your staff, your customers, you must first have a good relationship with yourself.

Feeling good about you is the “greatest gift” you can give your entire sphere of influence.

Wise Guys

“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let our bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.” – Kahlil Gibran