Here is a foul truth about life---- we have a bottomless sense of hunger to feel accepted.
To feel it.
To achieve it.
To hear it.
Many of us are either to prideful to admit it. Or we shamelessly conceal the craving. Either way you end up wanting the same thing.
I bring forth this topic because of something so inexplicable that came out of Jamesy's mouth yesterday while playing with his mega blocks. I was working on my tower, he was working on his (Henry was playing peek-a-boo by himself with the curtains).
James stood right in front of me and held up a fairly large tower he had put together and said, "Mommy, did I do good? Did I, Mommy?"
It caught me off guard. I was almost confused as to why he would stop playing and ask for affirmation.
Was I not acknowledging him enough?
Did I not provide a sense of pride in him when he did the simplest of things?
How can a two year old have a sense of acceptance or lack thereof so early on?
These were immediate questions I asked myself (internally, of course) as I drew him close to my chest and said what a great job he had done building the tower.
It's simple.
Re-affirming your children.
Re-affirming others.
Re-affirming ourselves.
However, why do we then get so caught up in the whirlwind of being "accepted?"
Is it because we are comparing ourselves to others----parents, moms, friends or even family members?
Do we get mildly annoyed when one person posts something about their children, their hair, their workout, their new shopping spree or what they did for their children? Are they looking for an acknowledgement from others because they are missing something?
I could go on and on----easily.
But I digress.
The fact is we need to spend a lost LESS time seeking out the approval of others and just embrace what we have, what we do, who we love and what talents we've been given.
I say this to the adult population----not so much my two year old who may need some years of recognition before he realizes that accepting yourself first brings forth the greatest accomplishments for his future.
To feel it.
To achieve it.
To hear it.
Many of us are either to prideful to admit it. Or we shamelessly conceal the craving. Either way you end up wanting the same thing.
I bring forth this topic because of something so inexplicable that came out of Jamesy's mouth yesterday while playing with his mega blocks. I was working on my tower, he was working on his (Henry was playing peek-a-boo by himself with the curtains).
James stood right in front of me and held up a fairly large tower he had put together and said, "Mommy, did I do good? Did I, Mommy?"
It caught me off guard. I was almost confused as to why he would stop playing and ask for affirmation.
Was I not acknowledging him enough?
Did I not provide a sense of pride in him when he did the simplest of things?
How can a two year old have a sense of acceptance or lack thereof so early on?
These were immediate questions I asked myself (internally, of course) as I drew him close to my chest and said what a great job he had done building the tower.
It's simple.
Re-affirming your children.
Re-affirming others.
Re-affirming ourselves.
However, why do we then get so caught up in the whirlwind of being "accepted?"
Is it because we are comparing ourselves to others----parents, moms, friends or even family members?
Do we get mildly annoyed when one person posts something about their children, their hair, their workout, their new shopping spree or what they did for their children? Are they looking for an acknowledgement from others because they are missing something?
I could go on and on----easily.
But I digress.
The fact is we need to spend a lost LESS time seeking out the approval of others and just embrace what we have, what we do, who we love and what talents we've been given.
I say this to the adult population----not so much my two year old who may need some years of recognition before he realizes that accepting yourself first brings forth the greatest accomplishments for his future.