DON'T OVER-CORRECT

"The most difficult thing in the world is to know how to do a thing and to watch somebody else doing it wrong, without comment." - T. H. White

White's observation applies to parents and their children as well. It's important for parents to patiently allow their children to learn from experience, rather than stepping in to correct them at every moment. After all, one thorn of experience is worth an entire wilderness of warning. By over correcting our children, we undermine their confidence and diminish their initiative. Never do for your child what your child can do for themselves, even if they do it imperfectly at first.

Those Who Believe

"Spending time with people who believe you'll never really amount to anything will dampen your enthusiasm for pursuing your goals and make it difficult to move through life in the direction you want to go. On the other hand, people who instill confidence in you with a can-do attitude, people whose spirits are uplifting, will help breathe new life into your plans and dreams." - Daniel Amen

Children are easily discouraged by adults who consistently ridicule them and put them down. On the other hand, those who believe in their children's ability do more than stimulate them. They create for them an atmosphere in which it becomes easier to succeed. Make a point to support your child's dreams and show enthusiasm for their ideas.

Self-acceptance

"Self-acceptance is the beginning of confidence. To live successfully, realize that you were capable of making a mistake." - Maxwell Maltz

Self-acceptance always includes accepting our humanness. Our humanness includes the fact that all parents make mistakes. To be unwilling to accept the nature of our mistakes is to live in denial. Because we can go nowhere from where we are not, all change and personal growth begins by accepting our mistakes.