I remember when I was a teenager, I hated when my mother sang loudly in church. It embarrassed me… and my mother’s voice was fine! I just didn’t want anyone to notice her … or me.
Let’s be bold
But I was wrong to hush my mum. My lack of confidence didn’t want her confidence to shine. That was wrong!
As mothers, we need to allow ourselves the freedom to be free.
When we are confident, and laugh at ourselves and with our children, teaching them to laugh at themselves, they just might get through the self conscious teens happier, healthier and freer!
Let’s be free to show our kids how to be free
We don’t want to embarrass our sensitive teenagers. But neither do we want to kowtow to their self-consciousness. Let’s find a balance.
Through humour, joy, friendliness, drawing attention to ourselves is not a negative.
What’s good for the soul
Enjoying life, being robust, laughing and playing are good things for the soul. The activities and may change, but teaching our kids how to have fun with us and with one another is an important development for anyone… and especially important for our teens.
This is all part of learning to accept ourselves, honour ourselves, and respect ourselves. In this topsy-turvy world, it’s important to be grounded in who we are as individuals, and as part of a family, whether that’s a community family or a natural one.
Let’s be bold to model and to teach our children not to be ashamed but to be bold enough to be who and what our principles and our family guide us to be.