katherinecroftonDefining spiritual awakening or enlightenment is similar to trying to explain love or pure joy. We may know how they feel, but verbal or written words cannot give that feeling justice. They are such deep and personal experiences.
“One such definition for spiritual enlightenment is the complete dissolution of one’s identity as a separate self with no trace of the egoic mind remaining.” (source)
The definition above may seem very intense, but if people read between the lines, they can see that spiritual enlightenment is knowing who you are and being who you are supposed to be. It means being happy with your life.
This is something all good parents want for their children, but how do we as parents give it to them?
Luckily for us, children are born with this. It is the physical imperfect life and relationships that pull them out of this state of being and into a state that leaves them dissatisfied.
Thus, if we allow our children to grow into who they are supposed to be, we give them the ability to remain spiritually awakened and happy.
Here are 3 Tips on How to Raise Spiritually Awakened Children!
1. Emotions are Always Okay!
As a parent, I know how hard it can be to deal with a child’s ever-changing emotions. You have angry children who throw tantrums in the grocery store or sad children who cry at every little injustice that plagues their existence. This can be very difficult to deal with as a parent because we are made to believe that children should ALWAYS listen to their parents and, if they don’t, the parent isn’t doing his or her job correctly.
This is wrong!
Most of the time, children do not even understand what they are feeling. They just know something is wrong. It is our job as parents to help them understand and express their feelings in a healthy way instead of helping to push feelings down deep where they can fester.
Here are some easy steps to help a child understand and deal with their emotions:
- Name the Emotion: Help them understand what they are feeling.
- Identify Emotions in Others: Take your child people-watching, and allow them to see and name emotions they see in others. This fosters empathy.
- Express Emotions: Talk to your children about how they can express the emotions they feel and give them healthy outlets to do so. By teaching them to feel and express, you are helping them increase their emotional IQ.
2. Don’t Own Your Children!
Some parents like to dictate their child’s entire life and they don’t even know they are doing it. It starts as soon as they are born. “Oh, he looks just like his father. I bet he will be an excellent football player.” Comments like this are very common, but are not good for children who need to be able to grow into their potential instead of following the life path of their parents.
Children can never be truly happy doing what their parents want them to do. They need to learn their purpose in life and what makes them happy. Our job, as parents, is to support our children and their life decisions. We should give guidance, but, ultimately, we need to understand that our children have their own paths to walk and it is different from our own.
3. Remove All Stereotypes!
Good, bad.
Boy, girl.
These stereotypes are holding our children back. By teaching children they are bad or good, you give them a sense that they have two selves fighting within them. There are good deeds and bad deeds and good deeds should be praised like so: “Thank you for putting the dishes in the dishwasher. I appreciate it!”
Gender stereotyping is still a strong force in our society, and it wreaks havoc with children’s understanding of who they are supposed to be. Experts agree that gender stereotypes play a negative role in the development of children, and they urge parents to try to treat girls and boys the same.
Here are some tips!
- Talk about gender roles in the media. Children will watch what they want to watch, but the parent can discuss these shows and help children understand that what they see isn’t always what is right or true.
- Encourage different types of play. If you have a girl, let her be Batman. If you have a boy, let him carry a purse and have a tea party. This is normal!
- Pick toys based on interest and not gender. I cannot tell you how many dolls my daughter has received from family members. She doesn’t really play with them, and is more interested in reading, writing, or taking care of animals. Learn what your child likes and support that.
Following these tips will help your children grow into who they are supposed to be and will allow them to be truly happy with their lives.
What do you think?
Share your thoughts in the comments!
(h/t: Soul Science)