Affirmations:
Everyone is my teacher.
I respect everyone to choose their right place to be.
I am open and willing to learn from everyone.
All people deserve safety, respect and appreciation.
Children Show What We All Need!
Last week we had five grandchildren with us for the week.
This week a
surprise of four grandkids (age 5-almost 17).
What an
example of what works for different people and personalities.
No tears,
arguments or upset occur at our house when they are here.
(I do
notice when parents are present other behaviors occur!)
This phenomena is notable.
What is
needed for children to be happy?
What
creates and environment of peace and equanimity?
How do
children (and maybe adults?) live in harmony and helpfulness?
Structure and scheduling is valuable for everyone.
A daily
routine that everyone can count on with flexibility and individual freedom,
offers security.
A defined
bedtime and wakeup time with consistent meal times for gathering gives
certainty.
Knowing what
is coming next helps everyone to feel the basics (sleep and food) are provided.
Guidelines for living in a family are essential to know
what is safe.
Simple
rules for safety in our home are shared before they are challenged.
In our
home, no yelling, running or rough house are allowed inside.
These
guidelines for all ages, parents and children creates the safety of peace.
Everyone is treated as a guest with respect for every
request.
All ages
are treated in an adult-adult manner.
Because
everyone is expected to be respectful and helpful, everyone is helpful and
respectful.
We all are
talked with in a kind listening way, with everyone’s ideas equal to each other.
People of all ages have activities to engage them.
There is no
boredom or idle time to get in trouble.
There is no
insistence that all participate in group activities.
People can
choose what is best for them with appreciation for happy solitary or group
activities.
We all listen to requests and are willing to be helpful
to one another.
When
together, technology is absent.
Adults and
children remove themselves to read, watch, text or use phones and internet.
There is
quiet in quiet rooms and conversation in group gatherings.
Respect for one another is a key to listening, helping,
enjoying and appreciating our time together.
Everyone
has enough sleep and food, freedom and trust, respect and responsibility.
Everyone
takes care of their things and helps clean up after themselves to finish each
activity.
We have
lots of time for privacy and quiet, game playing and laughter, sharing and
appreciating.
As I shared
recently with my 10 yr old grand-daughters,
3 Keys To Success seem to be:
1) No Drama, 2) Plenty of Sleep/ quiet
time and 3) Lots of Reading/Learning,
Harmonious Homes seems to need a) Respect and Responsibility, b) Structure and
Scheduling,
c) Guidelines and Helpfulness, d) Togetherness and
Privacy.
Everyone needs to feel safe
and secure, to belong and be helpful, to achieve and accomplish.
This
creates what we often call LOVE,
Let us love one another in the ways in which we can rest
in Love and protect our rest by Loving.
Betty Lue