Hello!
Today's story is centered on forgiveness, so that's what we'll be talking about in the blog post. We'll look at our role as parents in teaching our children about the gift of forgiveness.
Children make mistakes, lots of them. Yes, sometimes, out of stubbornness. But many other times, it's simply the result of their childishness and because they don't know any better.
We must keep our little ones from going on making mistakes or doing the wrong things, so they don't end up in dangerous situations that they can't get out of. But it's also imperative that we correct them the RIGHT way. After all, the most important thing is that they learn not to hurt themselves.
And so that includes teaching them from a very young age to give themselves grace when they fail at something or make mistakes. It's essential to "catch 'em young" because many of the people who grow up to be highly anxious and self-loathing in their adulthood come from backgrounds where their mistakes were constantly magnified, and they were criticized for every misstep.
Our little ones need to know that making mistakes is a part of human nature. They need to be conscious of their wrongs, but for the right reasons: so they don't hurt themselves or anyone else. They need to learn how to deal with guilt properly. They also need to know that even when they've done something they are not proud of, the one place they shouldn't have to hide from is your arms as their parent.
One effortless way to learn this is when they can see us giving grace to ourselves too. As parents, most of us are just trying to do what we know best. At times, it seems as though we need a handbook or possibly a parental crash course. Some parents have help, and some parents do it on their own. It can be challenging when your efforts to hold things together don't suffice. Learn to give yourself grace. Do your best as much as you can. But even when you fall short, be reminded of your humanness. Forgive yourself, learn, and grow.
From ourselves to our little ones, we can never forget to extend a love filled with grace whenever we fall short.
Merry Christmas!!
