By: Mariana Kalis | @mumaclubhouse
The true importance of our role as parents lies in our ability to convey our love to our children.
There's a quote from Frederick Douglass that motivates us to do everything we set out to do at MUMA: "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken adults."
Nowadays, we are inundated with information about how to educate our children, and all of this is very beneficial. However, we have come to realize that we are neglecting the true significance of what we can impart to the children. We think that if we manage to guide our children through the stages of growth without issues, we have done everything right, and we become frustrated when we encounter bumps along the way.
But the reality is that when we focus solely on external factors, such as getting the child out of diapers at the expected time, preventing tantrums, or having them behave as we hope they would, we are fixating on things that are important but not the essence of nurturing children to be strengthened for facing life. So, where is the key?
The true importance of our role as parents lies in our ability to convey our love, our security, our unconditional acceptance to our children, and in becoming effective mirrors that reflect how important and special they are to us and to the world.
And how do you go about transmitting this?
The good news is that it's actually very simple! It just involves focusing more on teaching them that they are loved. It means dedicating more time to just playing with them, observing them, or hugging them. It means showing them their abilities and strengths as well as their weaknesses, and teaching them that it's okay to make mistakes because, after all, we make mistakes too!
If we take the time to incorporate these simple attitudes into our interactions with our children, we'll be conveying an incredibly important message:
"No matter whether you do well or make mistakes, I will always love you. It doesn't matter if you're wrong because I make mistakes too, and together we can find solutions. It doesn't matter if life isn't always easy because I will be here for you even when things aren't so great. It doesn't matter what mood you're in because I love spending time with you and sharing experiences."
If we do our job as parents well, this message will echo in their ears for the rest of their lives, and you'll ensure that your child will feel capable of facing whatever life brings their way, even when you're no longer here.
After all, isn't that what we desire most for our children?
Give it a try, and you'll see the results!
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Mariana Kalis Mariana Kalis, co-founder of MUMA. I am a Psychologist with Master's degrees in Family Therapy and Early Childhood Care, specializing in Perinatal Psychology. I have over 10 years of experience working in the fields of childhood and motherhood.
For more information, follow me on Instagram at @mumaclubhouse