15 Seconds of Fame
An interesting thing happened at preschool today. I was standing in the hall with a prospective parent and our associate pastor when one of our 3 year classes came walking down the hall. As the class got to us, Pastor said to the line leader “I like your shoes.” The child beamed with pride. Every child after that stopped in front of us, held up a foot and said “do you like my shoes?” and “look at my shoes”. Pastor and I both then remarked on each pair of shoes, how pretty or how fast or how colorful. Each child walked away with a huge smile on their face. For those few seconds, they were the focus of all eyes and all attention. The prospective mom registered her child for next year. She said she could feel the love in our building!
It doesn’t take much to please a child, to build their self esteem and encourage their soul.
Compliment them: their choices, their effort, their accomplishments. Be sincere, kids can spot a fake very quickly!
Say “I love you”: Let them know they are loved, not for what they can do, but for who they are!
Ask questions and LISTEN to the answers: You may learn something new about your child. “You drew a super boat, honey, where is the boat going? Do you want to go there someday?”
Give them a few minutes of undivided attention: They will appreciate that you want to be with them. Turn off the TV, snuggle up in the recliner and read a book or talk about their day. Play a game. Go outside and take a walk. When they talk to you, get down on their level and look them in the eye.
Everyone wants to feel special and important and children are no exception. These tips will have your child walking on air!
Lenora Cooper is the Preschool Director at her local church and enjoys every minute with the kids the her program. Lenore is also a mom of 4 grown children and enjoys participating in church activities and freelance writing for mybabyclothes.com. Your little one will fall in love with their bright new Spring baby clothes, beautiful twirly baby tutu paired with a matching baby headband or their snazzy new baby hat and will be ready to show it off at their next outing.
Photo courtesy of newsusacontent