A is for accountability. Hold your children accountable for their behaviour.
B is for boundaries. Set specific limits and make clear what the repercussions will be if those limits are exceeded.
C is for consistence. Hold to the same principles and practices.
D is for discipline. Make the punishment fit the crime. Never discipline the anger.
E is for example. Children are in greater need of models than critics. Set a good example.
F is for forgiveness. Practice it and teach the importance of forgiving.
G is for giving. Teach the joy of giving, not only to family and friends, but to strangers in need.
H is for sense of humour. Keep your sense of humour. Promote laughter with your children.
I is for imagination. Be creative and play with your children. Make up stories of songs when you read and sing with them.
J is for joy. Let your kids know that they are a joy to be with.
K is for knowing. Know your children’s friends and their parents as well as their teachers.
L is for listening. Listen to your children. It will teach them how to listen to others, and their thoughts will give you insights.
M is for morals. Be sure your own standard of conduct is sound.
N is for no. Use it and mean it.
O is for outdoors. Provide as much outdoor activity as possible. Teach respect for nature.
P is for pressure. Reduce the pressure on your children but insist they maintain high standards.
Q is for questions. Pay close attention to their questions and give simple answers unless they demand more.
R is for respect. Show respect, teach respect and earn respect.
S is for source of strength. Share your own faith or beliefs with your children. Faith will be their port in the storms of life later.
T is for togetherness. Have special designated times to be together as a family-but know when to let go too.
U is for uniqueness. Understand the uniqueness of each child and let that child be who he or she is.
V is for voice. Tone of voice can convey more to a child than the words spoken.
W is for words. Keep your word. Promises broken destroy trust.
X is for eXamine. Examine constantly and be aware.
Y is for you. Take care of yourself mentally, physically and spiritually. A happy parent helps a child to be happy.
Z is for zowie! Who would have thought they would grow up so quickly?
A Beginning Reflection: This series of posts begins with a search to understand how our family changed and, eventually, broke under the pressures of life and circumstance. Writing it is not an attempt to assign blame or fix the past; those are not entirely ours to control. The series title, ਹਭੇ ਸਾਕ ਕੂੜਾਵੇ ਡਿਠੇ ਤਉ ਪਲੈ ਤੈਡੈ ਲਾਗੀ, comes from Gurbani and can be understood as: “ I have seen that all relationships (worldly attachments) are false; therefore, I have grasped the hem of Your robe, O Lord. ” This truth frames the exploration in these posts. It does not remove the hurt, but it offers a way to witness events honestly while staying rooted in something larger than ourselves. In sharing these experiences, I hope to explore not just what went wrong, but also what these moments can teach about love, loss, acceptance, and the slow work of finding peace within. March 2020 Content warning: family conflict, emotional stress, pandemic trauma Privacy Disclaimer: Some identifying de...
Comments
I will replace H with "humbleness" :D It's easy to humoriezed some one but "gareebi" is difficult to achieve.