Do you recall the Staples commercial that is shown during the “back to school rush” every August?” The father is skipping and jumping down the aisles of the store, singing the classic tune and celebrating that his children will soon be spending the majority of their day at school.
In contrast, around the holidays this song is played over and over on the radio, but many parents begin shuttering at the idea that they will have to spend two full weeks with their children over the holiday break. Suddenly, it doesn’t feel like “the most wonderful time of the year.”
As you look toward this extra time with your children, do you squeal with glee like Tiny Tim on Christmas morning, or do you hunch over and roll your eyes like Ebeneezer Scrooge and say, “Bah Humbug!!”
There is some good news for parents in the The Christmas Carol that Dickens penned so many years ago. Even Scrooge changed his perspective. What would happen if you took a stroll with a few of your old friends the Ghost of Parenting Past and the Ghost of Parenting Future and used them to help guide you to a better place of parenting with purpose?
A visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past brings Scrooge to witness all that happened prior to the present moments of his life and all that influenced his bad mood today. What Ghosts of Parenting Past do you allow to creep into your day? Do you hang onto the old negative parenting styles passed on through the generations of your family? Do you replay parenting mistakes you made yesterday and feel unsure how to move forward from them today? When we spend our present parenting moments hanging onto these ghosts from our past, do we leave any room in our hearts to focus on our child today?
Maybe for you it is the Ghosts of Parenting Future that cloud your present moments with your children. These ghosts can keep you up at night as the “what ifs”, “Maybe’s”, and “Oh No’s” consume your every thought. These anxious thoughts of what your child’s future holds take up room in your heart that could be spent instead on celebrating the great things happening today.
In the end, Scrooge moved beyond these ghosts and headed into Bob Cratchit’s family celebration. He finally saw Christmas for what it truly is… a precious time of joy and pleasure. At Child in Bloom, we believe that childhood should be described in the same way. Parents that bloom, release themselves from the trappings of past and future and simply focus on today. When they do this they can change their family experiences and help their child Bloom and Grow!
Here’s a simple list of things to grow on…
-Focus on the smallest moments within your child’s day. Remember moments matter. You don’t have to do it all. Even the smallest connection or move in their direction could save the whole day.
-Pay attention to the slightest facial expression, word, and emotion that you share while in your child’s presence. They are watching and learning and these modeling moments matter the most.
-Allow today to be alone its glory (without worry about what happened yesterday or what might happen tomorrow).
The smile on your child’s face and the warmth in your heart will tell you that you’ve just given the best present during this “most wonderful time of the year.” That present is YOU!
At Child in Bloom we can help you turn your ghosts into goals and give you the tools to change what happens today.
God Bless us Everyone!