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Today was a big day for our family & so many others that I know! We just came back from 8th grade continuation with my son so I officially have a high school kiddo back in the house! I have to say I shed a few tears this morning as I watched him go to middle school for the very last time & I think he may have shed some tears too!
So, it is a perfect time to talk about these helpful 10 Steps To Ease the Emotions of Your Children Growing Older!
Isn’t it so crazy how fast time goes? I look at his handsome little face & it feels like just yesterday that I was changing his diapers & cuddling with him! I truly feel as though he just started kindergarten, so how the heck did we get to this point already?
I don’t know about all of you, but this “letting go” part of parenting is the hardest part for me! Don’t get me wrong I am not a control freak (at least I don’t think ), but letting the kids branch out to find their wings is so beautiful & gratifying, but also sad because they don’t seem to need me as much anymore & I have to trust them to make the right decisions.
Parenthood is seriously the craziest journey ever! Right? One huge roller-coaster of emotions after another! From overwhelming happiness & love, to undeniable amounts of stress, to tears of complete pride, joy, & sadness when they step out that door to move on for the very first time! 🙂
Are you going through these growing pains of your children getting older & hitting these different milestones? Maybe you’re a little sad, anxious, of course proud, but wishing they were still little, cute & cuddly? So, how do we survive the emotional aspect of our children growing up & moving on to new schools, graduating, colleges, etc.? I have gone through this before & this is where I am again now!
I have been going through this for 22 years now & this is what I have learned from it.
Remember when you were pregnant with your first baby? The older parents were always saying “enjoy every minute because they will be grown up & gone before you know it!”? That literally scared me to death because ever since I was just a young girl, I knew that all I really wanted in my life is to become a mother one day. So I listened to all of the advice that was given towards making each moment count…that became my life mission as a mom! 🙂
As my 3rd child hit his milestone today & I had my moment of tears, I was able to reflect on our lives & realize that we have done the best that we could along the way! I know I have made my fair share of mistakes over the years but I have learned from them & tried my best to become better! Once I truly realized that, I felt the heaviness lift off of my chest because I know we have done everything that we could to be there for our little man, now high schooler! 🙂
These are these 10 tools that we have implemented into our daily lives with the kids over the years & we have seen how it has enhanced all of our lives in such a positive way.
They are all so beneficial as they all helped us grow together along the way & really helped me to become so much more grateful & accepting about them growing up!
Let me tell you I am still not great at this but I am becoming better each day! 🙂
Here are 10 steps to ease the emotions of your children getting older! They are free & only request a little time from you: 🙂
1. Have Gratitude for each moment, memory, second, that we are here with our children.
As always, I will refer back to using a Gratitude Journal because it truly is so important for you to reflect on all that you are thankful for! It also tells the story of your growth & your lives together over the years! It helps you stop & become aware of all of the amazing moments that you have to be grateful for with your kids! 🙂
2. Be PRESENT for your children!
This is so hard these days because we are surrounded by technology 24/7! It has become harder for us all to put all of our phones, tablets, etc. away & truly give 100% of our attention to our kids!
I guarantee that there is no amount of money that will replace you being 100% present for your kids!
That is ALL they ask from us, nothing more! Take them time each day to turn off all technology & have a conversation with them, you’ll be amazed at what you’ll learn from them!It is free & the most beneficial gift you could give them!!!
3. Celebrate every stepping stone, birthday, holiday, sport, etc., with your kids!
I am not saying it has to be elaborate or cost a lot of money, I am saying make a special dinner, bake their favorite dessert, decorate the table, their room, make a movie night, WHATEVER is special, just DO IT! I know that we are all busy & maybe a little stressed for time, but I always think
“What if…“ I don’t have the chance to celebrate this again? Not morbidly, but just maybe this special event won’t come around again, what if?I don’t ever want to say I wish I would have! I know I have been called “crazy” for celebrating everything with my kids (maybe a little over the top :)), but I have absolutely NO regrets about any of it!!! 🙂
4. Take the time to say your PROUD of them & you LOVE them.
These beautiful little words have SO much meaning & can truly change your children’s lives! If nothing else…please let them know daily that they are truly loved. After all, our children didn’t ask to be here…we created them & these words are incredibly important for them to hear daily!
5. Write a letter to them letting them know how grateful you are for them.
It is so important that they have something like this from you! I know that I have brought out letters to look at them years after I received them to give me inspiration & to just reminisce that special memory in my life! 🙂
6. Laugh with them!
We talked about the importance of laughter & fun in my last post! It is SO important! Play games with them do whatever it takes to be PRESENT & LAUGH your hearts out, as you know how time flies! You’ll feel so good after a good belly laugh as it is the best medicine for you both! 🙂
7. Get to know their friends!
Be “that” house that everyone wants to be at! I have literally had 100’s of kids at my house over the last 22 years & it has been the MOST amazing experience ever! 🙂 It is also the BEST thing to do if you want to build better bonds with your children & their friends. They gain your trust & will come to you if they need you, you will become their safe haven, & that is so incredibly important!
Some of my favorite memories have been when there are 10 kids playing games & staying the weekends at our house! 🙂
8. Take the time to eat dinner with your kids!
Sit down with them with all of your phones off!
Ask them what was the most exciting part of their day? Having that dinner routine where everyone knows they can communicate with one another is such a great feeling for everyone! We still convene around the table every night & we ALL love it as it is our time to share our days events with one another! 🙂
9. Have them write in their journals.
Boy or girl, it doesn’t matter! Being a child & going through the growing pains of adolescence is tough! No matter how amazing of parents you may be! Encourage them to have that journal to where they can write & express their feelings. It should be their respected space! I promise it will be beneficial to them! 🙂
10. Build goals together!
I love doing this with my kids! It truly inspires all of us to become better & stretch ourselves a little farther! This opens up a line of communication that is so important between both of you! You can keep each other accountable as well as being there to help them overcome obstacles, which truly is so important! 🙂
These tools have helped us to become so close with one another & we have all created a bond that is certainly unbreakable! These tools are FREE but make an incredible difference in your child’s life! All it takes is a little time & effort, but the reward for all of you will be priceless! 🙂
You’ll begin to accept your children growing up, you will still shed those tears (which you should :)), but you will be able to reflect on your lifetime together & realize that you have so many precious memories together already & you still get to look forward to making so many amazing new memories in the future! It is such a fantastic gift! 🙂
This life that we live is such a gift! We have one shot to truly make a difference with our children!
So make sure as your reading this post that you really see what connects with you, what you think that you can do with your family, what seems right for you, because when it is all said & done, all our children want from us is our undivided time, love, laughter, & support! By providing these things for our children it surely eases the “growing pains” for us as parents as we know we provided all that we could along the way & we are so grateful for that!
Your children will always be your babies no matter what age they are, embrace this beautiful life with them, soak in every second, be grateful for every precious second, & realize that so many more beautiful memories waiting to be made between all of you!
It is all going to be OK, I promise! 🙂
I challenge you all to share some good old laughter this week as you’re celebrating your milestones & loving on one another! Congratulations to all of you parents for doing such an amazing job with your kiddos!
Be sure to sign up here to join in our fun & start changing your life! I am excited to start this journey with you all! By signing up, you’ll receive weekly tips & inspiration, FREE downloads, & you’ll be gaining a whole new community of amazing people! here at The Giggling Life!
Make it a great week everyone! 🙂
You got this! 🙂
Much love to you all,
Kristi
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